


LEILANI

by africangoddesss



Category: Original Work
Genre: African, F/M, Mates, Vampires, Werewolves, mate, whitehair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-02-16 07:29:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 60
Words: 61,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18686902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/africangoddesss/pseuds/africangoddesss
Summary: Everywhere she went people would stare at her. Some in awe, jealousy, and confusion. But she didn't take much notice of it. She would tell those who asked that it was her real hair. She was so used to the staring so it never really bothered her. Until one day.The day when she felt the stare from someone that made her feel things she had never felt before. The day when her whole life turned around.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> PROLOGUE 
> 
> "What is this?"
> 
> Athena and her husband Zander opened the basket to reveal a dark-skinned baby girl wrapped in a yellow blanket sucking her thumb. "Quick, bring her inside! The storm is about to start," Zander exclaimed.
> 
> Athena picked up the basket and brought it into their living room while her husband closed the front door. She placed the basket onto the floor and took off the lid for the second time. Both Athena and Zander watched the baby in the yellow hat as she sucked her thumb and lifted her other hand towards Athena's face.
> 
> "She's adorable," Zander stated. "Who would abandon a baby like this?" Athena picked the baby up and immediately cradled the infant in her arms.
> 
> "Look, there's a note in the basket," Zander exclaimed. As Zander picked up the piece of paper, loud thunder boomed throughout the stormy night. They soon began to hear a rhythmic pattern of rain falling hard against the windows.
> 
> "She's yours now." Athena gasped in shock after hearing her husband read the note. "She's ours?" she asked with a shaking voice.
> 
> "She's ours," Zander repeated. He put the note back in the basket with confusion. Who did this baby belong to and why would they drop her at our house?
> 
> Suddenly, the grey-eyed baby started to cry looking very irritable. "Maybe she's hot, take off her hat," Zander suggested. Slowly, Athena took off the baby's hat to reveal something very unusual. They both gasped in shock while staring at the baby's locks.
> 
> "H-how?" Athena stammered. This was impossible. They had never seen something so unique and rare in their life. Zander hesitantly reached out to touch the baby's white locks. "She smells like a human but doesn't look like a human," he said.
> 
> Athena suddenly started to worry about the baby. How would a human grow up with werewolves? When would they tell her the truth? Would she be angry? Confused? Upset?
> 
> "Should we give her a name?" Zander blurted out causing Athena to break away from her thoughts. Athena didn't get a chance to think about the baby's name.
> 
> "Yes, I think we should."
> 
> Both werewolves pondered together trying to come up with the perfect name for their new baby cub. "I've got it," Athena exclaimed with a sudden smile on her face.
> 
> "Leilani. Leilani Béla Loupé."
> 
> And so it was. Deep down in her heart, Athena sparked with happiness and cheer. They had been trying to have a child for five years now. It was sad that the Alpha and Luna weren't able to have kids of their own. They had given up about a month ago realizing that it would never happen. Maybe the Moon Goddess did hear their cry. Maybe they weren't hopeless after all.
> 
> So that night, both Athena and Zander made a promise that they would welcome the little baby into their pack and protect her for as long as they lived. She would be their little ball of sunshine to bring them joy and delight throughout the years. And she did.
> 
> The pack immediately welcomed her and were astonished by the colour of her hair. She grew up with many other babies who soon became her best friends. She felt honoured to be a part of the Silver Creek Pack.
> 
> Everywhere she went people would stare at her. Some in awe, jealousy, and confusion. But she didn't take much notice of it. She would tell those who asked that it was her real hair. She was so used to the staring so it never really bothered her. Until one day.
> 
> The day when she felt the stare from someone that made her feel things she had never felt before. The day when her whole life turned around.

Monday, August 6

"When is the pool party?" Lucian asked as we strolled through the mall. "Babe, I've told you like five times already. Next week Saturday," Saphira exclaimed before rolling her eyes.

"This is proof that Lucian has a bad memory," Nathan whispered to me. I giggled while staring at Lucian.

"Shut up! I do not have bad memory," Lucian snapped back.

"Yes, you do!"

"No, I don't!"

"Will you both shut up already?!" Blaike groaned while looking up from his phone. "Alas. He speaks!" Lucian exclaimed.

I watched Blaike roll his eyes before he returned to tapping away at his phone. We were currently all at the mall doing absolutely nothing. Our parents kicked us out like usual because we were apparently 'annoying'. Like that explained a lot. Anyway, here is a quick introduction of my friends.

Lucian Cadwell  
20 yrs- Bday: May 4th

The eldest of the Cadwell siblings. He has a very bad memory. He hates to admit it, but we always tease him about it. He also hates chocolate and is very protective over Saphira; his mate.

Saphira Slade.  
19 yrs- Bday: April 10th

My best friend ♥️

She is honestly a goddess with her beautiful Swedish and Thai genes. She loves to party and adores cats. We have been best friends for almost 18 years which is why I love her to death. She is my ride or die no matter what.

Nathan Hale.  
18 yrs- Bday: December 30

The guy who makes me laugh 24/7. He is an awesome soccer player and loves airplanes. He is also an awesome cuddle buddy.

Blaike Stryker.  
21 yrs- Bday: February 2nd

The leader. He always has his phone in his hand for some weird reason. When he isn't on his phone, he reads books and plays with the children in the pack. He is a softie on the inside but a meanie on the outside.

And then there's me.

Leilani Béla Loupé.  
18 yrs -Bday: November 23rd

The chocolate-skinned girl with white hair. The girl who is very clumsy and adventurous. Who loves children and animals and who has a passion for classical music.

We are all different in our own way but we're all best friends. And that's the end. Nah, I'm just kidding.

Anyways during that specific afternoon, I decided to head over to the shoe store for a new pair. Even though I wasn't a werewolf, I still loved taking walks sometimes runs most mornings at 8:00 am. I had been doing it for the past two years, and I absolutely loved it.

As soon as we stepped into the store, whispers dispersed almost immediately. Everyone stared at me as I walked through the store looking for a new pair of shoes. I was so used to it, so I didn't even bother looking at the people who were staring.

"Ooh! What about this one?" Saphira asked me while picking up a pair of hot pink shoes."Uh, it's too flashy," I exclaimed.

"What about these?" Nathan asked while pointing at a pair of black shoes. "Hmm... it's too plain."

I walked away from my friends and went towards the back of the store. I noticed a lot of different cool shoes that caught my attention, but I just wasn't feeling them.

Then I saw them. The perfect kicks. They were a pair of pink, grey, and black shoes. I decided to speed walk over towards them as if someone else wanted to buy them too.

"Oooh, those are cute," I heard Saphira purr from behind me."Yeah, they're perfect," I exclaimed while admiring them.

"They're ugly," Blaike barked with a monotone voice. "Did I ask for your opinion? No," I spoke back to him sassily.

"God, I'm just joking. Relax," he replied with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I know. You're Blaike."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means..." And then I lost my ability to speak.

I started to feel cold. Very cold. I felt goosebumps starting to take form on my body almost immediately. On my legs, arms, and even my back. I began rubbing my arms up and down trying to comfort my cold skin.

"Are you ok? Do you want my sweater?" Nathan asked me in a worried voice.

"I-I'm fine," I replied feeling a bit unsure. And then I felt it. Someone was staring at me.

Now I know, everyone stared at me. It happened all the time, but this stare was different. It felt different. It felt weird. My eyes scanned the store until I saw him.

He just stood there so gracefully with a red sweater in his left hand. He had on this white fitted tee and a pair of dark blue jeans. He was with three other dudes, and they were walking around the sweater section, but he just stood there. Staring at me.

Why the hell was this guy just staring at me? I felt extremely self-conscious. His stare was so intense that I couldn't even look away. My heart began to thump against my rib cage in an unnatural matter. Why did I feel this way?

The distance between us was a lot, but I somehow could see his eyes so clearly. They were a mesmerizing greyish blue. He also had long brown hair which suited him well. 

Out of nowhere, he began to narrow his eyes at me. Moments later, he dropped the sweater back onto the rack before storming out of the store.

"Elias! Where are you going?" asked the redheaded boy. All three boys immediately stopped what they were doing and followed him.

Elias.

"Leilani, are you good?" Saphira asked me while tapping on my shoulder. I shook my head trying to snap back into reality and see my four friends looking at me strangely.

"Uh, I'm g-good," I responded. I quickly purchased my shoes and before I knew it, we were on our way back home.


	2. Chapter 2

Monday, August 20

It had been two days since the pool party. I had a blast! Saphira pretty much invited everyone. People from my previous high school and most of Lucian and Blaike's college friends.

I met many new people and ate a lot. It was currently 8:55 am as I walked down the stairs to get ready for my morning jog. I was exactly an hour later than usual. I opened our closet and took out my new shoes. They were my new favourite pair.

As I looked at them, I couldn't help but remember the guy I saw two weeks ago at the shoe store. Why was he staring at me? And why did his stare hold so much meaning?

I shook away my thoughts before opening the front door. I immediately started to jog. I heard the birds sweetly singing to each other while the wind blew against the trees. I could smell the faint dew from the rain that came down early that morning.

After arriving at my pond, I walked towards my usual tree and started to take off my shoes. Suddenly something caught my eye. Someone was already in my pond.

Now I knew that pond was within the border, so technically it didn't belong to any pack, but I called it mine. Every morning after my run, I would always come to my pond and dip my feet in it as I pondered about life, but by the looks of it, someone had already beat me to it.

I slowly put my left shoe back on and decided to watch the figure swimming in my pond. How dare they?

Suddenly, the figure slowly emerged from the water. It was a girl.

As I continued watching, I noticed this girl had extremely broad shoulders. With their back facing me, the girl slowly stepped out of the pond. I shielded my eyes not wanting to see her bare butt.

After around fifteen seconds, I slowly opened my eyes to see that the girl had turned around and a white towel had appeared around her waist.

This girl literally had an eight pack and I was beyond jealous. I guess she worked out a lot. I also noticed that this girl had no boobs! What?

She suddenly reached up to ring her hair dry from the water showcasing her Adam's apple.

Wait, that's not a girl... that's a guy! I stood there feeling dumb and stupid. Maybe I needed glasses. And to make matters worse, I soon realized it was him.

That dude that was weirdly staring at me in the shoe store two weeks ago.

Elias.

I grunted before running away from my pond. I was beyond pissed. As I arrived back at the packhouse, I immediately rushed into the shower feeling quite upset about my weird 'encounter' with Elias at the pond.

And one thing was for sure. I did not like sharing.


	3. Chapter 3

Monday, August 27

You already know what happened next.

I kept on going to back to my pond every day for a full week. And yes, he was always there. I would just watch him for 15 minutes then I would run back home.

I know.

Pretty stalkerish.

Some days he would swim, other days he would skip rocks or just sit down and do absolutely nothing.

Had anything interesting happen? No, not really, because I, Leilani, am not a clumsy person.

AT ALL.

Of course, something interesting had happened! That Thursday, I decided to wear my sandals and walked into the forest.

I slipped like 5 times on the way to the pond. Nothing new.

And for some odd reason, on that particular day, he brought this little kid with him to the pond. I was extremely confused.

Did Elias have a child?

Why was this child awake at such an early time?

Anyways, I watched him play with the child. It was very amusing. He seemed to be really good with kids. He kept on making the little boy laugh which made me laugh.

And then for some odd reason, while I was turning around to run back towards my home, I slipped on the ground. I literally fell face forward onto the dirt ground and gained a bruise on my forehead.

When my parents and friends had asked me about it, I simply told them I banged my head against the wall. And they believed my sob story because I'm just that clumsy. Anyways, after I fell I realized I groaned in pain a little bit too loudly, which caused Elias to call out into the forest.

And let me tell you, his voice sounded pretty damn attractive.

I just laid there feeling pain, but I also felt these weird butterflies in my stomach.

I didn't understand why this boy made me feel weird.

So here I was. On a beautiful Monday morning. Going back to my pond. I was just about to approach it, but as I walked towards my tree, I noticed something different.

He wasn't there.

There was no hot guy to be seen.

That made me concerned because I had seen him at my pond for 6 days straight all at the exact same time. I walked towards my pond and stared at my reflection. Maybe this Elias guy didn't even exist and I was just going crazy.

I sat down against a random tree and started to feel sorry for myself.

Here I was, disappointed that my prince charming didn't show up. Maybe he was sick or had died.

Well, I hope he hadn't died. That would have been tragic.

Suddenly, I heard shuffling in front of me. I widened my eyes in fear as I looked around at my surroundings. Ok, maybe I'll just run home. This was probably a bad idea.

As soon as I started walking towards home's direction, he just popped out of nowhere.

I literally almost fell to the ground.

He scared me.

I just stood there feeling awkward as his gaze burned into my soul. All I could hear were the birds chirping and the wind blowing against the trees. After a moment of silence, I finally spoke.

"I'm just going to," I murmured while pointing towards my home's direction. "Yeah."

I immediately started to run past him, but he grabbed onto my arm.

With speed, he dragged me and pushed me against the nearest tree.

Yup, he's probably a werewolf.

I immediately felt sparks rush into my body's system. I widened my eyes in confusion as I looked at the contact between us. His hand was soft but rough as his grip tightened against my arm. I gulped in fear feeling my back being crushed against the rough bark of the tall tree.

I had finally gotten close to him and I was trembling. First of all those eyes were something else. I didn't dare stare into them for too long because it made me feel uncomfortable.

But when I did, I noticed they were darker than their usual light grey colour making him look pissed.

He somehow resembled a Greek god. With his flowing brown hair. He wasn't too big, but it was evident he worked out. He was so close to me. His minty breath fanned against my face as I stared at the ground.

"Who the hell are you?"

My eyes immediately shot up with anger.

"Excuse me? Who the hell are you?"

His eyes were burning with rage as I spoke back to him.

Was he not used to such attitude?

"And can you please let go? You're hurting me."

His eyes suddenly lightened as he looked down towards my arm.

"Sorry," he muttered as he took a little step back.

I rubbed my arm trying to ignore the slight pain I was feeling. I could see him trying to figure me out. I knew he wanted to know more about my eye colour and my hair, hence the reason why he was staring at me weirdly.

"Why are you stalking me?"

I widened my eyes in confusion as I played with my fingers.

"I'm not stalking you," I muttered while staring at my hands.

"You've been watching me every morning for the past week."

I bit my lip with nervousness and trembled.

So I've been caught.

Great.

"What is your name?"

"What's yours?" I asked back while studying his beautiful grey eyes.

He finally spoke with hesitation as his eyes never left mine.

"Elias Vasilios Calderon."


	4. Chapter 4

Geez.

That was a beautiful name. It sounded like royalty, to be honest. As if he was a prince or a king.

"What's yours?"

"Uh, it's Leilani."

He nodded his head while he continued staring at me.

"Why have you been watching me?"

Are you kidding me right now? Does he not remember me?

"Why were you staring at me in SportChek? Have we met before?"

He just looked at me with a blank face showing no expression. He suddenly turned around and started walking into the forest.

"Hey! You can't just walk away from me! I'm talking to you!"

He continued walking away as I stood there fuming with anger. I jogged towards him and placed my hand on his shoulder trying to stop him. He immediately stopped as I felt the sparks go through my hand and into my figure for the second time. I held my breath as I felt immediate pleasure shoot into my body.

"D-Do you feel that?" I asked him.

He slightly turned his head and looked at me from the corner of his eye.

"Yes. I do."

I pondered a bit trying to process what was going on. My mother did tell me stories about werewolves having a human for a mate, but she told me it was very rare.

"Are w-we..."

"No. Don't say it."

What was his issue? Was he disappointed in the way I looked? Was he not into black girls?

"But..."

"Are you a werewolf?"

I dropped my hand and swallowed slowly not wanting to tell him the answer. He wanted a werewolf for a mate. Not a human.

"No."

I watched him turn around to look at me. His grey eyes showed no emotion. They were stone cold causing me to shiver.

"I won't reject you because that would make me a coward and I'm not that mean, but I don't want you. Nor do I need you or a stupid mate."

I just stood there feeling very confused and hurt as well. I didn't even know I had a mate and now that I found him or now that he's found me, he doesn't even want me. This made me angry. How dare he decide this on his own?

"I'm sorry."

I narrowed my eyes at him with anger.

"No, don't apologize. I should be the one saying sorry. You're the one who's letting your wolf suffer, not me," I exclaimed.

I ignored his stare as I walked past him and walked towards home's direction.

Who the hell does this guy think he is?

I came to the conclusion that he was just having a bad day when he narrowed his eyes at me in SportChek because when I watched him from afar he would hum as he skipped rocks or smiled when interacting with the little boy. He was not the same guy who gave me that deadly stare.

And now that I've actually spoken to him and interacted with him, he's acting like a total ass. I just wanted to punch him in his perfect jaw and kick him where the sun didn't shine.

I hoped to the moon goddess that I wouldn't ever bump into him again for as long as I lived.


	5. Chapter 5

Saturday, September 8

"Something is up with you," Saphira exclaimed as she braided my hair.

"What do you mean?" We were currently at the beach relaxing as the boys fooled around in the water.

"You've been thinking a lot lately."

I laughed feeling a bit confused.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Well, it's not good or bad, I'm just curious... what have you been thinking about?"

I made this little promise to myself that I wouldn't speak of his name at all.

To myself or to anyone.

"Uh, life?"

I passed her my hair tie as I watched Lucian push Blaike into the water.

"Mmh," Saphira hummed.

I knew she knew something was up with me, but I didn't dare to tell her.

"All done!"

I heard the sound of a photo being taken right before she reached out in front of me to show me my hair.

"Girl, I'm telling you. You're really good with hair," I exclaimed trying to move away from the previous topic.

"I guess..."

I got up from my towel and stretched my legs.

"Hey girls, wanna join us?" Nathan asked while taking a sip from his water bottle.

To be honest, I wasn't going to lie.

Nathan was pretty damn attractive, but he was nowhere close to Eli-

Leilani!

Are you crazy?

Stop thinking about him!

"Sure!" Saphira responded.

I slowly removed my thin dress feeling someone's eyes on me.

Once I was done, I looked up to see Nathan staring at me. I wasn't exactly sure what he was staring at because there was nothing to see. I literally had no curves at all. My boobs were an average size and my ass was round and petite.

"Let's go," I exclaimed while walking past him.

"Girl, he was literally checking you out," Saphira whispered as we both ran towards the water together.

"I know."

-

After our beach adventure, we drove back to our packhouse hoping to make it in time for dinner.

"Hi mommy," I exclaimed while giving my mother a warm hug.

"Hi, baby. Did you guys have fun today?"

"Other than Leilani pulling me under the water like 5 times, yes we did," Nathan said.

My mother laughed as she held on to me tighter.

"You asked for it..." I muttered underneath my breath.

"I heard that."

"Something smells really good," Saphira exclaimed while walking into the kitchen.

I left my mother talking to Nathan and followed my best friend into the kitchen.

"Wow, dad! You and Uncle Stefan are cooking!" I exclaimed while admiring them in their dirty aprons.

I watched Saphira give her dad a kiss on his cheek while I embraced the yummy smell of lasagna.

"Well, we haven't burned the kitchen down yet, so I think we're doing good so far," my dad exclaimed before turning around to check the oven.

"Dinner should be ready in around 30 minutes, so I want the boys to clear the table, Saphira to help the mothers with their children, and for Leilani to turn off the sprinkler and bring the clothing inside."

We immediately followed through with my mother's instructions. Our pack was the best pack. We were like one huge family. I enjoyed every second spent with all of them.

Anyways, I walked over towards our closet and grabbed my jelly slides. I opened the front door and strolled across our front lawn. I stood there admiring our lovely flowers that the elderly women in our pack planted. They all bursted with colour causing me to smile with joy. They're beautiful! I then approached the wall and turned off the faucet.

After doing so, I walked towards our backyard to remove the clothing off the line. I picked up my mother's skirt and immediately screamed. A huge centipede dropped from the hem and scurried away.

"You alright, tiger?" Nathan asked me as he opened the back screen door with force.

"Uh, yep. I-I'm good."

"Was it a centipede again?"

"No..." I said trying to conceal the truth.

"Well, if you really don't want to do it, allow me," he said while climbing down the steps.

"No, Nathan. You're always helping me. I really need to overcome my fear."

After I finally shooed him away, I continued pulling down the dry clothing. Just as I finished placing my the last clothing item in the basket, I felt a presence with me. I turned my head slightly to see a black wolf staring at me in between the thick layer of pine forest behind our house.

It immediately gave me the shivers as I stared back at the furry animal.

And as I walked back into the house, I couldn't help but think about how familiar those grey eyes were.

Maybe a bit too familiar.


	6. Chapter 6

Monday, September 10

Today was the first day of college. Well, our first day of college. Saphira, Nathan, and I. Blaike was currently in his last year, whether as Lucian was in his second year. Saphira seemed extremely excited to go to college, whether as I was the opposite.

College meant I would have to make new friends, study more, and stay up late doing lots of homework. How exciting!

"Can you guys hurry up?!" I heard Blaike yell from downstairs.

"We're coming!!"

Saphira and I were currently in the bathroom just finishing our makeup. We both wore very little makeup. Just a bit of concealer, mascara, and lipgloss.

"Are you even excited?" my best friend asked me as we walked down the stairs together.

"Sort of, I mean it's just school..."

Saphira rolled her eyes and then grabbed an apple before saying goodbye to her parents.

"Bye mom, bye dad," I sighed while giving both of my parents a hug.

"Aww! I can't believe my baby is off to college," my mom exclaimed while sniffling.

"Ok, mom. I'm not getting married, I'm just going to college."

"Alright, Athena, let her go," my dad said trying to drag my mom away from my grasp.

"Will she be ok?" I mouthed to my dad as she embraced my dad in a hug.

"She'll be fine. Have fun," he responded.

I grabbed a muffin from the breakfast table and walked out of the house.

-

I wanted to be a nurse. I absolutely loved the idea of helping others and making a difference. The boys would tease me sometimes when I acted too much like a mother, but I couldn't help it.

I finally found my first class and walked into the room. As soon as I stepped in, all eyes were on me. I heard girls whispering and saw guys pointing. I just rolled my eyes and walked to an empty seat. After trying to figure out the wifi for a good 5 minutes, the redhead next to me spoke up.

"You have really dope hair."

I looked over at him and smiled.

"Thank you."

He was cute. He had striking blue eyes that were as icy as the ocean. His hair was a beautiful red causing me to stare at him for a very long time. In my previous high school, none of the redheads were attractive, but this guy was pretty damn cute.

"Hi, I'm Jasper," he said while sticking out his hand.

"Leilani..."

Why did his voice sound familiar?

I couldn't put my finger on it.

"I love the colour of your wig. It suits you."

"Uh, no. It's not a wig."

"Oh sorry. I'm not really familiar with how black girls wear their hair. Is it extensions?"

I laughed feeling quite surprised. He knew a bit of stuff.

"This is my real hair."

Jasper instantly dropped his mouth and gasped.

"Oh, so you dyed it white," he said with a chuckle.

"No. I was born with this hair."

I removed my phone from my backpack and opened the lock screen. After finally finding the toddler picture of myself in my camera roll, I showed Jasper who still sat there with astonishment.

"Damn. You're telling the truth," he whispered to himself.

I nodded while rubbing my hand up and down my arm.

The room was oddly chilly.

"Is this your first year?"

I looked back at him and nodded.

"Yes, it is."

-

After class, both Jasper and I walked out of our class together.

"Well, it was really nice meeting you," he said with a grin.

"Yeah, you too."

"I'll see you around."

I watched him walk away feeling happy.

He seemed nice.

Maybe this won't be too bad after all.

-

"Are you going?" Saphira asked me as we walked towards Blaike's car.

"Going where?"

"Well, the guys and a couple of other people are going to grab something to eat."

"Sure. I'm starving."

We waited patiently for the boys to arrive and finally made our way towards the Chinese restaurant.

-

"So where are your friends?" I asked Nathan as we took our seats at the table.

"They should be here in a couple of minutes."

In the meantime, Saphira and I talked about our first day. After around 10 minutes, Nathan spoke up.

"There they are," Nathan exclaimed.

I watched Nathan get up and walk towards the group of people.

Sure enough, there was Jasper.

"Hey Leilani didn't know you knew Nathan."

I smiled at him briefly before looking over at the other people. They all took their seats before greeting us.

"Hi, I'm Raphael," said the dirty blonde.

"I'm Julian," said the tanned boy.

"And I'm Neha," said the pretty Indian girl.

"I'm Saphira, this is Leilani, that's my mate Lucian, and that's Blaike."

I knew it.

They were all werewolves.

"Your hair is beautiful," Neha exclaimed.

"Thank you."

"Where's everybody else?" Nathan asked Jasper.

"Eli said he's running a bit late, so they should be here in about 10 minutes."


	7. Chapter 7

Eli?

I looked across the table to observe Jasper and gulped. He's the guy who yelled "Elias" at SportChek, meaning he was friends with Elias.

I was going to die.

Suddenly in walked Elias with two girls. This was not happening right now.

"Sorry, I had some stuff to attend to."

Elias took a seat beside Jasper and they immediately started talking. I assumed they were best friends. The others took their seats at the table as well.

"I'm Indigo and this is Violet," the girl with the big hoops said.

"You guys look so much alike, it's scary," Saphira exclaimed.

"Yeah, it sucks looking exactly like her," Violet sighed.

Indigo slapped her twin causing me to laugh. These girls were funny.

I looked over at Neha to see her staring at Blaike. She had this grin on her face that made me wonder, did they already know each other?

"So you're the girl everyone has been talking about," Raphael said out of nowhere.

"Yup."

I finally gave up and decided to look over at Elias to see if he had finally noticed me.

And to my surprise, he was already staring at me.

I gulped feeling extremely weird. Here we were sitting with a group of people at the same table hiding this huge secret that no one knew about.

"Excuse me," I said to Blaike.

He moved his seat away from mine as I got up to go to the bathroom.

"Leilani are you ok?"

"I'm fine Saphira. I just need to use the ladies."

I walked away from the table knowing that all eyes were on me. As soon as I entered the bathroom I immediately walked into a stall and closed the door. I placed my hands on my face and sighed.

Why did I have to meet Jasper? Why did I decide to come to this stupid restaurant? And why did Elias look so good in red?

I finished peeing and walked towards the sink and washed my hands. As I stared into the mirror, I wished at that very moment that I could disappear.

I finally decided to leave the bathroom and opened the door to see Elias leaving the bathroom too. You have got to be kidding me. I slowly closed the door behind me and looked at my fingers.

"Does your friend know about me?"

"Well hi to you too. And no, Saphira doesn't know about you."

I looked up to see him staring at me.

"Does Jasper know about me?" I asked him.

"No."

I nodded my head while playing with the sleeve of my sweater.

"Well, let's keep it that way. Just between us."

"There is no us," I stated before walking away from him.

He couldn't just "reject" me and pretend that everything was normal.

Did he not have a brain?

I vividly remember him telling me he didn't want or needed me so why couldn't he just leave me alone?


	8. Chapter 8

I walked back to our table with feeling annoyed. Why did he even bother speaking to me? If he doesn't want to be involved with me, he shouldn't even talk or look at me. I took a seat realizing that there was a lot of us. 5 girls and 9 boys. Why the hell were there so many of us?

"Is this your first year?" Neha asked me.

"Yeah. It is. What about you guys?"

"It's my second," Neha exclaimed.

"It's our first," the twins said at the exact same time.

"We're going to have so much fun!" Saphira exclaimed.

Yeah, I had a feeling we would all become really good friends.

"Is that your mate?" Indigo whispered to Saphira while looking at Lucian.

He sat on the other end of the table with the rest of the boys.

"Yes, he is."

He finally noticed Saphira's gaze and winked at her. She blushed and blew him a kiss.

"Aww, you guys are cute."

"Thank you. Have you guys found your mate yet?"

"Yeah, it's Raphael," Violet exclaimed.

"Julian," Indigo added.

"Aww, that's adorable," Saphira exclaimed.

"What about you Neha?" I asked with curiosity.

"Well, Uh. I kind of met him today..."

"Ooh, do spill," Indigo exclaimed.

Neha looked over at Blaike and blushed.

"Your mate is Blaike?!!" Saphira yelled.

"Shh," I told her before giving her a slap on the knee.

"Wow, I never saw that one coming."

"I had a feeling," I stated.

"You did?"

"Well, I did see you staring at him and smiling, so I figured."

"Gosh, I must've looked so weird," she giggled.

"Who's your mate Leilani?"

I felt my heart beat speed up as I heard Violet's question.

"Oh, um I'm not a werewolf," I exclaimed.

"You're not?!" Neha asked sounding surprised.

"Nope, I'm human."

"Wow. You look so much like a werewolf," Indigo exclaimed.

"Yeah, everyone tells me that."

"So, if you're a human, how did you know about us?" Violet asked.

"Well, my parents found me on their doorstep 18 years ago, so I was basically raised by werewolves."

"Wow, "everyone exclaimed.

I smiled feeling a bit awkward.

"So, can we eat?" I asked out loud.

"Yeah, I think it's a buffet," Julian exclaimed.

I grabbed Saphira and dragged her towards the buffet.

"Geez, your grip is hard," she complained.

"Sorry, not sorry."

We both grabbed our plates and walked towards the sushi.

"SUSHI!"

I turned around to see Julian running over towards us with his plate in his hand.

"Geez, you can go first," I said while stepping to the side.

We watched him grab 7 sushi rolls onto his plate and move towards the noodles. My mouth remained open for a couple of seconds looking at Julian piling noodles onto his plate.

"Yup. That's Julian for you," Indigo exclaimed.

After getting my sushi, I walked towards the rice and piled some onto my plate.

"Hi."

I looked up to see Jasper on the other side of the food table.

"Hey."

"So how do you know Nathan?"

I finished placing rice onto my plate and walked around to him.

"We're best friends."

"Oh, that's cool."

I waited for him to finish scooping up the broccoli onto his plate and took the spoon.

"You're not a werewolf right?"

"Nope."

He nodded his head while walking away from me.

"He definitely has the hots for you," Neha stated as we walked back to our seats together.

"You think so?"

"No. I know so."

As soon as I sat down in my chair, I immediately started digging in.

"Easy there, tiger. Slow down," Nathan exclaimed as I scarfed down my noodles.

I grunted while giving him a dirty look. Let me eat in peace Natty! I noticed Elias smile as I gave Nathan a dirty look which made me surprised. This was my second time seeing him smile. He should definitely do that more often.

After around 7 minutes, I got up to grab my second plate. And what a coincidence! Elias got up as well. I was going to personally murder this guy. He better not say a word to me!

I walked towards the fish and starting placing some onto my plate. Sure, enough Elias stood weirdly close to me as I was doing so. After placing the fish on my plate, I walked away towards the mussels.

I looked over the food table to see him walking over towards me. Was this dude following me? He came around the table and stood next to me again. I looked at his plate to see fish.

"Can you stop following me?" I gritted between my teeth.

I saw Indigo turn around from the salad bar and gave her a brief smile.

"I'm not following you."

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Well, it sure feels like you are."

I walked away from him for the 2nd time and grabbed some sweet and sour chicken.

"Is Eli bothering you?" Jasper asked out of nowhere.

What's with these boys appearing out of nowhere? He literally scared me.

"It's best to just ignore him. He can be a douche sometimes."

"I figured."

I looked up to see Elias staring at me from the salad bar. I watched him clench his fist while glaring at me.

It was that moment that I realized I hated Elias Vasilios Calderon.

1, for being so damn attractive no matter how mad or weird he was.

And 2, for being a total ass.


	9. Chapter 9

Friday, September 28

It had been almost 3 weeks since we all went out to eat. The girls (Neha, Indigo, Violet, Saphira) and I had all become pretty close. I enjoyed spending time with the boys too. They were all funny, weird, and wild which made me laugh a lot.

And then there was Elias.

The incredibly hot guy who didn't 'want' me.

I didn't understand that guy at all. He would glare at me somedays, and other days he would smile at me. I often just rolled my eyes and carried on with life. He was infuriating. If he didn't want me then why did he even bother looking at me? I was surprised he didn't have a girlfriend or fling. I mean he was pretty attractive. Maybe he wasn't into girls.

Nathan and I were currently in Walmart buying a couple of snacks for our movie night. Every other Friday night, we watched movies in his bedroom. It was our tradition. "Please, do not buy dark chocolate. You know I hate it, " I whined while pushing the cart down the snacks aisle.

"I'm buying it for me, not you," he exclaimed.

I stuck my tongue out and grabbed a bag of sour patch kids. "Pick up two packets. We're gonna need it," Nathan said.

"No, Natty. We don't want diabetes."

"Who doesn't want diabetes?"

I turned around to see Elias holding a bag of sweet chilli heat Doritos while staring at us with a curious face. Behind him was Raphael (who was holding a basketball) and Julian.

"Oh, hey guys," Nathan exclaimed before walking over towards them.

He greeted them with the casual bro hug as I stared at the ground.

"Hey, Leilani," both Julian and Raphael said.

They walked over towards me and each gave me a hug. I instantly heard Elias growl but decided to ignore it.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We're just grabbing a new basketball. Our old one kind of exploded."

"I wonder why..." I heard Raphael say.

"It wasn't even my fault. I don't even know how to pump balls!"

"That's what she said."

Julian immediately turned and headed straight towards Raphael. They started hitting each other in a reckless manner, as I stood there watching them. Boys will always be boys.

"What are you guys up to?" Elias asked.

This jealous ass.

"Oh, we're just buying snacks for our movie night."

"Movie night?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You know when people watch several movies in a row?"

"I know what a movie night is," he gritted between his teeth.

I can't believe he's playing the jealous boyfriend when he clearly said he didn't want me!

"Hey," he said while looking at me.

I gave him a tiny smile and grabbed onto Natty's arm.

"Come on, let's go."

I suddenly heard another low growl and looked up to see the colour of Elias's eyes. They were black. He was staring at the contact between me and Nathan.

"Bro, are you ok?" Nathan asked.

"He's fine," I stated.

I pulled Nathan away from the boys and pushed the cart towards the next aisle."What was that? He literally growled at me."

"I don't know," I exclaimed while shrugging my shoulders.

Elias better learn to control his jealousy before the others find out about "us".


	10. Chapter 10

We finally made it back to our packhouse and immediately rushed upstairs to Nathan's bedroom. I placed the drinks on his night table as he emptied the snacks onto his bed.

"What are we watching tonight?"

"Well, it's your turn to pick first this week so you decide," I exclaimed while checking my phone.

"Alright, we'll watch the Matrix."

"Fine by me."

I walked towards Nathan's chest-drawer and grabbed one of his yellow t-shirts. I then walked to his bathroom and changed out of my clothing. I pulled his shirt over my head and put my hair in a ponytail.

"Should I order..."

As I stepped out of his bathroom, I looked at Nathan to see his eyes fixated on my legs. He licked his lips and swallowed slowly.

"What did you say?"

"Uh..."

He immediately shook his head and looked up to meet my eyes. "I was just wondering if you wanted to order pizza. You know, maybe a medium."

"Sure, that sounds good. Let me just drop my stuff off at my room. You can order if you want."

He nodded his head in agreement as I walked out of his room. I tiptoed quietly towards my room hoping no one would catch me wearing Nathan's shirt. I always did have his shirts on, but the boys teased me about it no matter what.

After I dropped my clothes and belongings on my bed, I walked back to Nathan's room.

"Is it movie night this week?"

I turned around to see Saphira stepping out of Lucian's room. I nodded my head while grinning.

"Have fun," she said before she winked at me.

I rolled my eyes and laughed as I walked towards Nathan's room.

"Ok, so I ordered a medium cheese and they said it should take roughly 30 minutes."

I nodded my head while walking over towards his bed. I grabbed the sour patch kids as he grabbed the dark chocolate. I climbed into his bed and scooched closer to him.

"You ready tiger?"

"Yup, you can start it."

I watched Nathan press play on his laptop before he opened his arms to embrace me. I nuzzled into his chest like a lost kitten feeling protected.

I loved Nathan.

He was my best friend and the only guy who understood me. He had always been there for me no matter what. When I got stung by a bee at 4 years old, he kissed my finger and held me for 2 hours. When it was our first day in grade 6, he warned all the boys to not hurt me or he would beat them up. And when I was worried about passing my drivers test, he boosted me up and gave me confidence. I smiled reminiscing about how much Nathan meant to me and how grateful I was to call him my best friend. I used to have a huge crush on him in middle school, but I had to squish the idea of us ever being together because number 1, he only saw me as his best friend and number 2, he hadn't found his mate yet.

I vividly remember when we were 7 years old, our parents took us to the zoo together. The last animals we saw were the tigers. He said he had admired me as I watched the tigers with awe and excitement. On our way home, we discussed all the animals we had seen and he brought up the tigers. He told me that a tiger was passionate, daring, tough, and fearless and that's what he also saw in me. Hence, the reason why the nickname tiger has stuck with me for almost 12 years.

To this day, I have no idea what he meant when he said I reminded him of a tiger because, to be honest, I feared a lot   
To this day, I have no idea what he meant when he said I reminded him of a tiger because, to be honest, I feared a lot. I wasn't tough, or even daring. I was just me.

"Keanu Reeves is a beast!"

I laughed looking up to see Nathan so enthusiastically drawn towards the movie. I watched as his eyes stayed glued to the screen in awe. He was just perfect. The perfect guy ever. It was sad that he hadn't found his mate yet, but I did know this. Whoever she was, she was pretty damn lucky. Anyone would be lucky to have Nathan as their soulmate. As their lover and as their Romeo.

Suddenly the movie suddenly got quieter. His eyes connected with mine and his face slowly became serious. I sat up and stared into his grey orbs.

"You know I love you," he said with a soft voice.

It was almost as quiet as a whisper. I smiled and nodded my head.

"Yes, and I love you too."

His eyes flickered to my lips causing my heart to speed up. It was at that exact moment that I wanted to know what his lips felt like against mine. I knew they would be sweet and soft. I leaned in closer wanting him more than ever.

"Leilani..."

Just one more inch closer and our lips would meet.

"Hey, guys. I think your-"

We pulled away from each other as we both looked towards the entrance of his room to see Lucian staring at us.

"Woah, uh sorry to interrupt."

"No, it's all g-good," Nathan stuttered.

"Uh, your pizza is here."

I watched Nathan get up and disappear behind the door. I felt my heart beat slow down as I stared at the screen.

What had just happened?


	11. Chapter 11

I woke up in the middle of the night with Nathan's arms around me. I couldn't sleep. I felt weird. I looked at Nathan sleeping soundly and smiled. He's so adorable. I leaned in to kiss his cheek before getting out of his bed. I gathered all the garbage from the previous night and placed them in a bag.

I walked down the stairs and threw away the garbage in the kitchen. Grabbing a glass cup from the cupboard, I then filled it with water. I pushed myself up onto the counter and sat there thinking. Would this change our relationship? Would things be awkward?

"Couldn't sleep?"

I looked up to see Blaike walking in.

"Oh, uh yeah."

He walked past me and opened the fridge.

"What's up?"

I shook my head before taking another sip of my water. "Nothing, just stuff."

"What stuff?"

I sighed knowing Blaike would pester me until I told him what was wrong.

"I almost kissed Nathan."

He stood up from the fridge and stared at me. It felt like 5 minutes before he spoke.

"Woah..."

He took out the orange juice and poured himself a glass.

"Do you have feelings for him?"

I didn't even know the answer to that question.

"I have no idea."

"Well, there's nothing you can really do anyway because you're obviously not his mate."

Geez, thanks Blaike.

"Thank you for stating the obvious."

"Well, it's true." He put the orange juice away before sitting on top of the kitchen island in front of me. "I don't know if I should tell you this, but I'm going to tell you anyways. Nathan has always liked you."

I looked up at him with widened eyes.

"What?"

"I know it's hard to grasp, but, he knows he can't do anything about it. One thing about Nathan is he knows his place. He knows what's right and he knows what's wrong. His feelings for you are evident, but he knows he cannot act upon them."

That was impossible. Blaike was lying. There was no way Nathan liked me.

"What should I do?" I asked trying to forget what Blaike just told me.

Blaike got down and placed his empty glass into the sink. "You should talk to him."

He walked away as I sat there gazing into space. I knew I had to talk to Nathan, but before I did, I needed to speak to someone else first.

-  
Saturday, September 29

"We need to talk," I exclaimed while taking a seat on Saphira's bed.

It was currently 10:00 am and I did not sleep at all after I went back upstairs from my conversation with Blaike.

"Is everything ok?"

I fell back onto her bed and sighed.

"Not really. Can you close the door?"

I watched Saphira get up from her chair and close her door.

"What the hell is up?"

She sat next to me with a serious face.

"Nathan and I, uh..."

"You..."

"Uh, we almost kissed..."

I closed my eyes waiting to hear her yell or squeal.

"Oh, I already knew that. Is that all you had to tell me?"

I opened my eyes in utter shock. "Wait how did you...Lucian!"

"I love my boyfriend. He always tells me the juicy stuff!" Of course, he told her. I'm surprised he didn't forget.

"So how did it happen? Or should I say 'almost' happen," she asked before scooting closer to me.

"Well, we were watching The Matrix-"

"The Matrix? Ooh, I love that movie!"

"And then I sat up and then the next thing I knew, we were leaning in..."

"Y'all are adorable. If you were a werewolf, I would definitely ship you guys. Even if you had another mate."

"Gee, thanks?" I said sounding unsure.

"You should've kissed him. What stopped you?"

"Uh, your boyfriend did!"

Saphira sighed and slapped her forehead.

"That stupid guy. He always has bad timing."

"But, the thing is, I have never seen Nathan in that way before. Like I know, he is pretty hot, but I don't know. He's more of a brother to me. But yesterday, something clicked. Like he was right in front of me this whole time. And even if I did like him, there would be nothing I could do because somewhere in the world his mate is waiting for him. And I would never ruin his love life just for a stupid little crush."

"Girl, I don't think this is a stupid little crush. Nathan has been waiting for a mate for almost 3 years. And besides, he's always had a crush on you. Since forever."

"No, he hasn't. That's impossible."

I looked at Saphira to see her shrugging her shoulders.

"Ok, it is impossible."

"I mean, if he liked me, I would've known right?"

"I'm just going to keep my mouth shut."

Ding!

I grabbed my phone from beside me to see a text message.

Hey, it's me, Jasper.

I didn't know he had my number.

Hey;)

Sorry, I got your number from Indigo...if that's alright:)

"Who's that you texting?"

Saphira leaned over to get a look.

"No one."

"I know it's Jasper. Damn all the boys want you."

I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"It's not even like that. We're just friends."

"That's what they all say," she muttered underneath her breath.

I slapped her arm and got up to sit in her chair.

It's fine. What's up?

I was just wondering if you wanted to grab lunch.

I gulped knowing that's how it always started. With lunch.

Ok, sure. What time?

I'll pick you up around noon. Just text me your address;)


	12. Chapter 12

"Where are you going?" Blaike yelled as I rushed past his bedroom.

"She has a date!" Saphira exclaimed.

"For god's sake! We're just friends!"

I rushed down the stairs knowing that Jasper was going to be here any second.

"Have fun!" my mother exclaimed from the kitchen.

"Thanks."

"Not too much fun," Blaike yelled.

"Thanks, dad!"

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Saphira immediately rushed to open it.

"Well, hello there Jasper."

"Hi," he said before stepping into our house.

He immediately looked over at me and smiled.

"Hey, you ready?"

"Yup."

"Well have fun!" Saphira exclaimed.

I smiled at her as I walked towards the door.

"Leilani..."

I looked towards the dining room to see Nathan getting up from his seat.

"Natty..." I mumbled underneath my breath.

I felt bad. We hadn't spoken since yesterday night.

"I'll see you later ok."

I gave him a reassuring smile before I stepped out of the house.

-

"Where are we going?" I asked as we walked through the busy streets of downtown.

"We are going to my favourite burger joint. They make the best burgers EVER!"

Once we finally arrived at Bite Burger House, we stepped inside and were immediately greeted by the amazing smell of burgers.

"I absolutely love burgers," I cried as we walked towards an empty booth.

"Well, the burgers we are going to have today will make you fall even more in love with them," Jasper exclaimed.

After we ordering our burgers, the waiter walked away with our menus in his hand.

"So are you and Nathan a thing?"

I was quite shocked that Jasper asked me that. "Oh, no. We're just best friends."

"Cool."

I looked down at my hands feeling weird. Was he jealous? I really hoped he didn't think this was a date.

"Listen, Jasper, uh I hope I'm not giving you the wrong idea, but I'm not interested in you. We're only just friends, ok?"

"To be honest, I thought I was going to have to say that first. I have a mate out there waiting for me and I would never betray her like that. So yes, we are just friends," he said with a polite smile.

"Ok. That's good," I smiled feeling relieved.

I'm glad we were on the same page.

"So you basically answered my question. You haven't found your mate yet," I said.

"No, I haven't. It's alright though. I don't mind being patient. Besides, Elias hasn't found his mate either."

He beat me to it. I was going to ask about Elias' mate.

"Really?"

"Yeah, he doesn't mind it though because he doesn't really want one. It's surprising though because he is the alpha's son. It was a bit of a shock to our pack that he didn't find his mate as soon as he turned 16."


	13. Chapter 13

As soon as I arrived home, my phone immediately buzzed.

We need to talk.

How the hell did that bastard get my number? I was going to kill Indigo. I immediately dropped my bag onto the dining room table and stormed out of the house and into the forest.

"What the hell do you want?" I yelled as soon as I saw him.

"Hi to you too."

I rolled my eyes realizing that he was using my words against me.

"What do you want?" I asked him again feeling agitated.

"I want you to stop talking to Jasper."

What?

He did not just say that.

"Excuse me?"

"Did you not hear me? I said I want you to stop-"

"I heard you the first time!"

Elias seemed surprised with the raising of my voice.

"I can't do that."

"And why is that?"

"Because Jasper is my friend."

"Friend? What type of friend? A friend with benefits, a possible boyfriend?"

"Alright listen up! You have no right to pry into my "romantic life" which is pretty much nonexistent, but that's not the point! You clearly said and I quote 'I don't want you or need you or a stupid mate!' so how the hell are you jealous?!!"

"I'm not jealous. I don't get jealous. And besides, you belong to me!"

"Oh my gosh, here we go again! How can I belong to you if you don't want anything to do with me?! Listen to yourself!"

"For your information-"

"IM NOT DONE SPEAKING!"

Elias immediately shut his mouth and stared down at me.

"I had no idea that I had even had a mate. I just thought I was a regular human being who was raised by werewolves. Oh, and who was born with white hair. And then you came along. This hot, beautiful, guy who happened to be a werewolf. I saw you with that little boy and I immediately fell in love. You were so kind-hearted. I had never seen a guy so nice to a child in my entire life and it made me proud. Proud to be somewhat connected to you. And then you come and act like this. Like an asshole! And now I find out that you're the son of an alpha meaning you're next in line! Is that why you're so terrified of accepting me as your mate? Because you don't want a human Luna? You didn't even give me a chance! A chance to prove to you that I'm worth it!"

I finally stopped talking trying to catch my breath. I watched as he opened his mouth to respond.

"My uncle had a human mate. He promised to take care of her and to protect her no matter what. She was his first priority. One night he went out drinking with his friends. She went outside for a walk and never returned. They couldn't find her for a full week before some hunters found her body in a forest. She was apparently murdered by rogues and my uncle went ballistic. The whole pack blamed him and disowned him. They would remind him every day that he was pathetic and useless. My mother told me he was never the same after that. He gave up his Alpha position and became a different person. 3 years later he committed suicide by hanging himself."

I looked up at Elias to see him staring into space.

"I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for. It happened way before I was born."

I looked down at my hands feeling pitiful. Maybe I was, in fact, a bit too harsh.

"That is why I am scared. I am scared to accept you as my mate because I know I wouldn't be able to protect you. I am not as strong as people say I am and I am not as wise as people say I am. Just as you said, I am a coward and an asshole. Always have been and always will be. Even if you were a werewolf, I still wouldn't accept you. I would not be able to live with myself if something ever happened to my mate."

"You know it wasn't his fault that she died."

"Oh, but it was. He wasn't there to protect her. He could've easily stayed at the house, but instead, he went out to get intoxicated. What type of alpha does that?"

I stayed quiet knowing I couldn't argue with him.

"Leilani."

I looked up fast realizing that that was indeed the first time he had said my name. He looked apologetic and sad which made me feel gloomy.

"I'm sorry.


	14. Chapter 14

As soon as I got home, Saphira started pestering me about my "date." I told her I was tired and instead rushed upstairs to my room.

I put on some classical music and let it play softly through my phone. I then changed out of my clothing and into my pj's before throwing myself onto my bed. It was currently 6:30 pm. I tried my best to stop thinking about Elias, but it was impossible.

He was the son of an Alpha. That meant one day he would be an Alpha and his mate would be the Luna. Would he ever accept me as his mate? And if he ever did, would I be a good Luna?

I felt bad. He was scared and probably even terrified. But that didn't mean he couldn't have a mate. He needed someone. He needed someone to love and most importantly he needed a friend. He needed me.

And I decided that I would do anything it took to make him realize that he does, in fact, need me. There are just some things you can't control and what happened to his uncle was extremely sad. But Elias is his own person and he should stop being so hard on himself because he deserved happiness.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on my door which interrupted my thoughts. "Hey, can I come in?"

I shot up from my bed with wide eyes. Was I even ready to speak with him? I fell back immediately and pretended that I was asleep. I closed my eyes and started to snore. I heard his soft footsteps against my carpet floor and prayed to the moon goddess that he would leave.

"Sit up tiger. I know you're not sleeping."

Is he rude? I groaned while sitting up from my bed. "How?"

"First of all, I know you. And second of all, you don't snore."

I rolled my eyes before laying back on my bed."I hate you."

"No, you don't. You love me."

My heart fluttered because we both knew he was right. He suddenly fell down onto my bed causing his body to come in contact with mine.

"How was your lunch?"

"It was good. We went to this burger place and their burgers were AMAZING!" I exclaimed.

"You better take me there someday. Maybe we'll have a burger eating contest."

"Haha, I would totally beat you. You're a slow eater."

"I am not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"No I am not!" he said before poking my waist.

I immediately rolled off my bed and fell onto the floor with a loud bang. "Ow," I groaned while touching my head.

I waited for my prince charming to rush over and make sure I was ok, but instead, I heard laughter.

"Oh my gosh! You're so clumsy!" Nathan said in between his laughs.

I stood up and pouted before getting back onto my bed.

"You know I'm ticklish. That wasn't even fair."

"Life isn't fair, tiger."

I rolled my eyes and cuddled into his arm. We lay there in silence for quite a while only hearing the soft classical music playing from my phone.

"Leilani..."

"Nathan..."

We both looked at each other and smiled.

"You go first," he said.

"Why must I always go first?"

"Because you're older than me."

I hated when he said that.

"I'm sorry, for almost kissing you. It was a mistake..." I didn't bother looking at him because I didn't want to see his facial expression.

"I wanted to kiss you so badly... you don't even understand."

I immediately turned my head in shock to see Nathan staring at me.

What did he just say?

"Leilani, you might not know this, but you're beautiful. You're incredibly smart, funny, passionate, kind, and that's just to name a few. There's a whole damn list and I could literally go on forever, but that's not the point. The point is I love you. That day at the zoo made everything crystal clear. You have always had a place in my heart, tiger. And you always will. But, I know I have a mate somewhere out there and I know it would be wrong to act upon my feelings for you. So, no. I am not sorry for almost kissing you, but I am sorry that it had to be this way."

I literally felt tears falling down my cheeks as he said his last words.

"Don't cry," he said while wiping my face.

"I love you too Nathan. And sometimes I wished that I was a werewolf and you were my mate, and I'm sorry for leading you on or whatever," I sputtered out feeling terrible.

"Shh, it's ok tiger. We're still best friends and that's all that matters."

My heart was literally melting. I loved him so damn much, but there was nothing I could do about it. He was Nathan and I was Leilani. He had a mate waiting for him out there, and I had a mate who didn't even want me.

"It's a shame though. We would've made cute babies."


	15. Chapter 15

Sunday, September 30

I spent the majority of the day doing school work. It had only been close to a month of school and I was already tired of it. I remembered high school and how fun it was. Yes, I had some hard classes like Physics and Advanced Functions, but the workload was nothing compared to this.

I sat in my room with my hands over my face feeling a bit tired as I tried to finish my work. Suddenly, my phone buzzed indicating that I had received a text message.

Come Outside.

I shook my head while smiling at my phone.

I have work to do. Can't.

Come on Tiger. You've been in your room all day long. You need a break.

I sighed as I stared outside my window to see Nathan waving hysterically at me.

Fine.

;)

I threw on a sweater before rushing downstairs. As soon as I got outside, Nathan started smiling cheerfully as I walked over towards him.

"You do know it's like 10:00 pm. It's kinda late to be lurking outside," I exclaimed.

"We're just going for a walk. There's no harm in that."

I stood there staring at him while he smiled at me weirdly. "What?"

"Someone missed you..."

I shrieked a bit before placing my hand over my mouth. "Please shift, god I've missed him so much."

He chuckled before turning around. He walked into the forest as I waited there in anticipation. I hadn't seen Milo in a long time and I was beyond excited. Maybe a bit too excited.

And there he was. In all his glory, Milo trotted towards me with his clothing in his mouth. I literally skipped towards him like a 5-year-old and engulfed the huge animal into a hug. "Hi, Milo."

I placed my fingers under his chin stroking his thick silver fur. He purred with delight as I continued petting him. He suddenly sat down and then nudged me causing my balance to stagger. He wanted me to climb onto his back.

I pulled myself onto his back and hugged his fur. No later than 5 seconds, we were off. He ran into the thick forest as I closed my eyes and let the breeze sweep me off my feet. It felt magical. Every single damn time. I opened my eyes and looked up at the sky to see it was indeed a full moon.

We continued travelling into the forest deeper and deeper. We passed the lake and several other small bodies of water. We finally stopped at a flat area within the forest as he lowered himself onto the ground allowing me to step down.

Just as I was about to open my mouth to say something, Milo growled. His eyes turned black as he stepped back away from me.

"Milo? What's wrong?"

He turned around and growled again, but towards a bush.

"Nathan?" He continued growling while pawing at the dirt ground. What was going on? Were there rogues?

Suddenly, three men appeared from behind the bush. I instantly started walking backwards feeling a bit nervous. Milo trotted backwards in a protective way. They moved away from the bush and started walking towards us. The man in the middle smiled mischievously as he stared at me with hunger.

Milo growled as he pounced towards them.

"Deal with him. I've got the girl," said the middle guy before licking his lips to reveal his pointy white fangs.

"Leave me alone!" I exclaimed while moving backwards. "And don't you dare touch him!"

With great speed, he grabbed onto my arm and threw me against the tree. I sat there in pain as I looked past him. Milo was still trying to fight off the other two men. We needed help!

"Get up you worthless human!" the man yelled at me before aggressively lifting me up. I breathed heavily as I tried my best to avoid eye contact with the monster. I suddenly felt his icy hand grip onto my neck as he moved his mouth near me.

"What pretty hair you have..." he purred before moving my white locks away from my neck to lick its surface.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME!"

I suddenly felt his teeth bite into me as I let out a sudden gasp. My knees buckled as they ignored my body's calling to be held up. I faintly heard Milo howl from in front of me as my eyes started feeling light. He continued sucking onto my neck as I felt the blood being drained from my body. Was this the end? Was I going to die?

I felt light as paper as I gasped for the life in me to stay within. My body collapsed onto the ground as the monster in front of me fell backwards in pain.

The last thing I remembered seeing, was my mate rushing towards me with worry in his eyes.


	16. Chapter 16

"Elias? What the hell are you doing here?"

"That is the least of our worries right now!" Elias exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around his mate's weak body.

"She's passed out," Nathan said as he quickly threw on his clothing.

"She's regaining her consciousness right now." They both watched Leilani flutter her eyes open and part her lips.

"Elias... w-where's N-Nathan?" she weakly stammered out.

Elias rolled his eyes before looking up at Nathan.

"I'm right here, tiger. You're going to be ok," Nathan said reassuringly as he knelt beside Leilani and took her hand in his.

"Am I d-dying?" she asked before closing her eyes.

"No no no, stay with us. Keep your eyes wide open," Elias exclaimed.

"She has to drink his blood," Nathan said with a sigh as he looked at the dying vampire across from them.

"Excuse me?" Elias asked feeling dumbfounded.

"Look at her. She's dying. The only way for us to save her is if she drinks his blood."

"We're not turning her into a damn vampire," Elias stated while looking at Nathan with anger.

"SHE'S MY BEST FRIEND. IM NOT GOING TO LET HER DIE!" Nathan quickly grabbed onto the vampire's arm and dragged him towards Leilani.

"Open your mouth tiger," he asked softly.

"N-No, I d-don't want to," she stammered out while slowly moving her head away from Nathan.

"You have to! You're not going to die on me!"

Nathan picked up the nearest stick and pierced the vampire's wrist causing him to shriek in pain and for his deep dark blood to pool out. He then placed the wrist above Leilani's mouth as Elias held her head firmly. The blood poured into her mouth as she cried in fear. Both Elias and Nathan squirmed with disgust as they watched her slowly swallow the maroon liquid.

Leilani suddenly sighed in satisfaction as she sat up and grabbed a hold of the vampire's wrist. Both Elias and Nathan sat back as they watched her drink his blood. The liquid was creating a mess and it dripped out of Leilani's mouth and onto her sweater. She hummed with gratification as she drank.

"So good..."

She suddenly left the lifeless vampire and with great speed jumped towards the others and bit into one of their necks.

Suddenly Zander, Athena, Saphira, Lucian, and Blaike emerged from the forest.

"What the hell happened?" Blaike barked.

Athena gasped before she covered her mouth with her hand. With the other, she held onto her husband as she watched her daughter hungrily attack the vampire's neck.

Leilani suddenly lifted her head in pain as her canines grew in length before dipping her head into the other vampires neck.

"S-She's a..." Saphira stammered out with her mouth hanging wide open.

"She's a vampire."


	17. Chapter 17

Monday, October 1

My eyes fluttered opened. I felt stronger, smarter, and faster. Was I really a vampire now? I sat up from my bed to see Nathan sleeping soundly on my bean couch. My eyes moved around my room analyzing the loud sound. I heard buzzing.

The sound of an insect flapping its wings trying to move freely around the room. In one quick motion, I got out of my bed and pinched the fly dead. I looked back at Nathan to see him still sleeping like a baby.

"Nathan."

He suddenly jumped out of his sleep with widened eyes. "Holy crap, you're awake."

He got up from the couch and walked towards me. "Uh, h-how do you feel?" he asked while rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I feel different. I feel amazing." I reached my hand out to touch his face.

"Thank you, Nathan. For always being there for me no matter what. Tell Milo I say thank you too."

He chuckled before placing his hand over mine which was currently cupping his cheek. "I'm sorry that I wasn't able to stop that vampire from biting you-"

"Shh, it's ok. What is done is done."

I slowly removed my hand from his grasp and traced his broad shoulders until I reached his hands. "How long have I been out?"

"Only 8 hours."

"Hey, Nathan. I can take over-" I slowly looked past Nathan to see Saphira peeking her head through my door.

"Oh my god! YOU'RE AWAKE!"

Nathan stepped away as she rushed towards me for an embrace. "Hey, Saphira," I laughed while holding onto her.

"I've missed you so damn much," she cried out.

"You saw me yesterday..."

"I know but I feel like I haven't seen you in so long! How do you feel? I mean how does it feel?"

Was everyone going to ask me that?

"I feel like me," I responded with a smile.

"That's good."

An awkward silence filled the room as my two best friends stared at me. Things between us were never awkward, but all of a sudden, I could feel the tension.

"Uh, I'm kinda thirsty."

"Right. Uh, I'll get you a glass of water," Saphira exclaimed.

"Uh, no. Not for water..."

Saphira's eyes widen in realization. "Oh, uh...right. You should probably come downstairs," she said before grabbing my hand and leading me out of my bedroom.

Saphira practically dragged me down the stairs with excitement. We entered the living room to see Blaike and Lucian playing a game of cards and my parents talking to Elias. I was surprised to see him here.

"Oh my," my mother gasped as she stood up from the couch. The room immediately became silent. The boys dropped their cards and stood up. My parents stared at me in awe, and Elias just looked at me with zero facial expression as he got up from his seat.

My mother walked towards me and embraced me in a hug. "My baby. How are you?" I happily hugged her back. "I am good mom. I am good."

Next, I hugged my father. He ruffled my hair like a little kid which was pretty embarrassing, especially because Elias was there. I hugged both Lucian and Blaike. Blaike checked for scratch marks and bruises, but I reassuringly told him I was fine. After embracing my family and friends, I slowly walked over towards Elias. I nervously stared at him as he stared back at me with those grey eyes.

"Hey."

"Hey." It was quite awkward as we stood there staring at each other in front of my parents and in front of my friends. "Thanks," I sighed with a little smile. He already knew what I was thanking him for. There was no need for a huge explanation.

"Anytime."

"How did you even find us?" Nathan asked abruptly.

Talk about bad timing. I stared at Elias as he looked past me at Nathan.

He wasn't going to tell them. I knew Elias.

"He was on his way to-"

Elias looked back at me and something in his eyes told me he wanted me to stop talking.

"I felt her pain."

He felt my pain?

"That doesn't make sense. How could you have-"

"She's my mate."


	18. Chapter 18

"SHE'S YOUR WHAT?" Blaike asked with a loud voice.

"She's my mate."

As I stared at him with shocked eyes my heart began to flutter annoyingly causing me to blush. Is he finally accepting me as his mate? Is he loosening up and giving us a try? His eyes never left mine as the room remained quiet. I could just imagine everyone's thoughts right now.

I turned around to view my family.

"H-how is that even possible? You are human!" Nathan blurted out. "Well...were human."

"Well, it is pretty unusual, but it does happen sometimes," my mother said.

"But now you're a vampire. How does that even work?" Blaike questioned.

"To be honest, I have no idea," I muttered underneath my breath.

"So are you guys a thing, because y'all look cute together," Saphira exclaimed with a smile on her face. She winked at me causing my cheeks to heat up.

"This is unbelievable," Nathan sighed before storming out of the room.

"Nathan!" I followed him out of the living room and into the kitchen.

"You never answered Saphira," he sighed before taking a seat at the table.

"We're not currently dating, but you know..."

He groaned before placing his hands over his face. "Why?"

I walked towards him and embraced him from behind. "I'm sorry Nathan. I really am."

"It's fine. There's nothing I can do about it anyways. I'm just hoping I'll find my mate soon too."

My heart ached thinking about Nathan with another girl.

"Ahem." I released my arms from Nathan to see Elias standing at the doorway.

Nathan looked up and rolled his eyes. "I should probably leave you two alone."

Nathan got up from his chair and walked towards the door. "If you hurt her in any way, I will kill you," he said furiously while sticking his finger in Elias' face.

Oh my gosh.

Elias nodded his head before Nathan left us alone. He slowly walked towards me as I slowly sat in Nathan's chair.

"So I'm your mate now?" I curiously inquired.

"Yeah, I guess so."

By looking at his face, it was evident that he was scared. I had this urge to give him a hug, but obviously, it would've been awkward and not appropriate, so I didn't.

I stood up and took a step closer to him.

"Stop worrying. Everything is going to be ok. We'll be ok. I'll be ok."

"You don't know that."

When was he going to stop being so hard on himself?

"I do because-"

"Hey, uh sorry to interrupt, but Leilani I think you should drink now. You know, to regain a bit of strength," my mother exclaimed as she walked towards the fridge.

I moved away from Elias and stared at my mother as she brought out 3 clear packets filled with a crimson red liquid.

"I want to see this," Blaike exclaimed with excitement.

I turned around to see the rest of my family enter the kitchen. You have got to be kidding me.

My mother rested the packets onto the kitchen table and stepped away.

"Marlon was able to get blood, um so yeah. Drink up."

*Marlon is the pack doctor.*

I took the first packet and hesitantly held it in my hand. Here it goes. I ripped the top off and began to drink. The liquid tasted like heavenly nectar as it trickled down my throat. It was so damn good. After I finished my first packet, I swiped away some blood that was trickling down my chin.

I suddenly heard a loud noise which caused me to look quickly towards my family.

"I had a feeling he would faint," said Saphira as she stooped down to attend her still mate.


	19. Chapter 19

After finishing all three packets, my parents left us all alone to talk.

"How comes you guys aren't at school?" I asked them.

"Because of you. Duh," Blaike exclaimed.

"Oh."

I don't even know why I asked that. That should have been pretty obvious. "So when am I able to go back to school?" I inquired.

"Not any time soon," Nathan said.

"What? Why the hell not?"

Why would I not be able to go back to school?

"Well, there are many humans at school, and Marlon isn't quite sure you're able to control yourself... yet."

"Well, I can learn! I can learn how to control my thirst! It shouldn't be that hard."

"Well, you would need help from a vampire, and we hate vampires," Lucian stated. "No offense."

I had completely forgotten about that. Werewolves hated Vampires and Vampires hated Werewolves. It was going to feel weird being the only vampire living in a house filled with werewolves. It wasn't like I had a vampire friend to talk to. I knew no vampires. And matter of fact, yesterday was the first time I had ever seen a vampire. This was going to be harder than I thought.

"So how on earth am I going to learn how to live like a vampire?!"

"That's the thing. We don't know yet. So it's best if you just stayed at home until we figure something out. I'm sorry Leilani, but your parents have decided to pull you out of college," Blaike said.

"What?"

I couldn't believe it. Now that I was a vampire, I had a feeling things would be different, but not like this. I wanted to go to college. I wanted to become a nurse.

"I'm not going to be homeschooled. There is no way."

"Leilani, it's for the best," Saphira stated.

"This is unbelievable!"

"What's going on?" my mother asked as both her and my father stepped into the living room.

"You're pulling me out of college?!"

My mother slowly gulped before looking at my father.

"Can you guys leave us alone for a second?" my mother asked.

"No! Whatever you have to say, say it so everyone can hear!"

I was never rude to my parents, but this made me furious.

"Do you honestly believe that I am the only vampire at our school? Our college has over 20,000 students! There has to be other vampires out there!"

"But they've probably been vampires for over 200 years," my father exclaimed.

"It's still not fair. Am I even allowed to leave the house?"

"You can't leave until we have you figured out. We don't know if you're a threat or in danger, and we plan on finding out soon," my father said.

I was beyond angry.

"What am I? A blood-sucking monster? I never asked to become a Vampire! And how the hell are you going to figure me out? I haven't even figured myself out yet! I don't want this! I want to turn back into a human!"

"Leilani, that's impossible. You will forever be a vampire now."

I stormed past my parents and ran up the stairs with speed. As soon as I got into my room, I slammed the door shut and rushed towards my bed.

I immediately bursted in tears feeling scared and angry. Why me? Why were there Vampires lurking through the woods? Why was I one of the few 'humans' who had a werewolf mate? And why did my biological parents give me to the werewolves?

I was now a vampire, and that was going to change everything.

I suddenly felt someone pick me up and place me in their lap. I wrapped my arms around him and continued crying.

"Shhh, it's going to be ok. We'll figure this thing out together."


	20. Chapter 20

Monday, October 15

It had been 2 weeks since my house arrest. 2 weeks of being a Vampire. I had gotten the hang of being homeschooled, and to be honest, it wasn't even that bad. My friends still entertained me when they had the chance. Nathan shifted once in the house, but my mother scolded him and told him I would have to watch from the window instead. My appetite for human food was practically gone. I had tasted a bit of my mother's lasagna last weekend and almost barfed.

The others knew about my transformation. Everyone was thrilled to see me drink blood except for Neha. She hated blood so instead, she went outside for fresh air. Also, Elias had finally told the others about me. Everyone was very confused and surprised, which was to be expected. It was really weird at first. In fact, Jasper and Elias had a huge fight about their friendship and their trust for each other. Even Saphira yelled at me for not telling her about Elias. It was a huge relief knowing that we no longer had to hide the truth.

My parents announced my transformation to the whole pack. I had a lot of people asking me questions which was very overwhelming. Some people were even against the whole thing, but my father told them they would have to deal with it. It was quite weird because suddenly all the attention was now on me. I hated attention. I wanted everyone to treat me the way they all treated me before. I was still Leilani, just no longer human.

Over the past two weeks, I had spent lots of time on my laptop doing school work and when I wasn't doing that, I spent time with the mothers and their precious babies.

I was currently seated in my room at my window listening to The Magic Flute: Overture by Mozart. It was 12:00 pm and I had finished all my schoolwork for the day. With my hands supporting my chin, I stared outside longing to be out there. This was the first time I had ever been inside for such a long time. Everyone one was at school and my parents were at a meeting with the Alpha and Luna of a nearby wolf pack. Most of the pack was at home keeping to themselves as I stayed upstairs cooped in my room.

After sulking at the window for about 5 minutes, I decided to go downstairs for a glass of water. As soon as I arrived in the kitchen, the doorbell rang. I slowly walked towards the door and peeked through the door hole. It was Elias.

"Hey," I exclaimed feeling shocked to see him. He nodded his head before stepping inside.

"Uh, why are you here?"

"Do you want me to go?"

"No! I mean, no. You can s-stay..." I sputtered out feeling a bit flustered. After taking off his shoes and jacket, he then proceeded to the fridge and started pulling out many ingredients.

"What are you doing?"

He ignored me as he took out a pan from the cupboard.

"Hello?"

"I'm making us lunch," he exclaimed as he stared at me with a serious face.

"But, shouldn't you be at school?"

"My afternoon classes got cancelled today."

I pulled up a chair at the table and sat down. "Oh."

He then walked towards our pantry and took out my father's apron. He pulled it over himself and then walked towards me. How the hell did he know his way around the kitchen?

"Do you have an elastic?"

I checked my wrists and gave him my brown one.

"Thanks."

I watched him pull his hair into a ponytail accidentally leaving a strand in front of his face. Hot. He washed his hands at the sink before taking out some pasta from our pantry.

"You can cook?"

He nodded his head before filling the kettle with water.

"What are you making?"

"You'll see."

I watched him go to the fridge again and bend down to look for more ingredients. I admired his cute ass as I moved my head to get a better view.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer."

"I w-wasn't e-even s-staring!!"

"Right..."

I sat there and watched him cook. He was very interesting to look at. I admired the way he scrunched his brows when cutting vegetables and the way he tasted the food for flavour.

"Leilani..."

"Huh?"

"I've been calling your name for the past 2 minutes."

I pulled my hair behind my ear in embarrassment.

"Ha, s-sorry."

He placed a plate of food in front of me. It smelled so damn good.

"Here, I hope you like it."

I looked at the chicken alfredo and smiled.

"Thanks, it looks really good." I picked up a piece of chicken with my fork before putting it back down. "Wait, aren't you going to eat with me?"

"No, I already ate."

Huh? Didn't this guy say he was making 'us' lunch?

"Um, okay," I muttered as he pulled up a chair at the end of the table. Why was he so damn far?

"I don't bite. You can move closer."

He rolled his eyes as he got up to move closer to me.

This guy was strange, but that's what made him Elias, I guess. I wasn't going to remind him at first, but then I quickly changed my mind.

"Uh, thanks for the food, but you do know I'm a vampire now..."

"Oh, shit. I forgot," he exclaimed before quickly grabbing my plate.

He furiously walked towards the stove and unfortunately dropped it in the process. A loud crash echoed through the kitchen as I stared at a frustrated Elias.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" he yelled.

I trembled in fear hearing him yell. He was very angry. I got up and walked around the table towards the mess.

"Elias, it's fine. It's not a big deal."

"YES, IT IS! HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN YOU'RE A DAMN VAMPIRE?!"

With widened eyes, I stepped back.

"S-sorry," he stuttered before stooping down to pick up the mess.

I reached down after him and took his hand. Sparks immediately filled my body making me realize that our connection was definitely stronger than before.

"It's ok. I got it. Just sit down," I stated.

He hesitantly stood up and walked towards the table before taking a seat.

In no time, I had the place cleaned up. A couple of people checked up on us, and I reassuringly told them everything was fine.

"You took your time making it, so I still want to taste it. I'll have whatever's left in the pot."

I grabbed a spoon, the pot and a wooden placemat and sat next to Elias. With his greyish blue eyes, he stared at me as I tasted his chicken alfredo. It surprisingly didn't taste weird or gross. It actually tasted pretty good. "You can cook well," I exclaimed. He nodded his head as I continued eating. I took a spoonful of the chicken alfredo and brought it near his mouth. He looked at me strangely before finally giving in. Hesitantly, he opened his mouth and ate the food.

That afternoon, was the first of many afternoons we had spent together.


	21. Chapter 21

Thursday, November 15

On Thursday, November 15, something unusual happened. That evening, my father called for a pack meeting. It was mandatory that everyone attended. I had questioned my parents about the meeting as soon as I knew about it, but they wouldn't dare say anything to me.

"ALRIGHT QUIET!!"

I stood in between Saphira and Nathan as my friends and I all looked over at my father.

"What the hell is going on?" Nathan silently asked me.

"I don't know."

"Do you know anything about this?" Saphira asked me.

"No, I don't." And that was the truth. I had no idea what my father was talking about. Did someone die? Were we in danger?

"In a month from now, all people ages 16-23 will be on their way to The Other Side."

The room immediately filled with gasps and whispers.

"We're going to The Other Side?" Saphira asked.

"I guess we are," Lucian replied.

I couldn't believe it. They were actually sending us to The Other Side. Now you're probably wondering: what is The Other Side?

The Other Side is another 3D dimensional world just for werewolves. They get to live there freely without hiding or covering up who they truly are. Every two years, every Alpha and their Luna have to go there for meetings and stuff. It's all very complicated which is why we rarely talk about it. All of us had heard stories about The Other Side, but we never expected we would get to go there. Especially as teenagers.

"Why, might I ask?" a teenage boy questioned my father.

"There is a war going on and I believe you guys have the potential to resolve it."

"Ok, this sounds super sketchy, but exciting at the exact same time," Saphira whispered to me.

"Yeah."

Going to The Other Side sounded interesting, but I had a burning question. Was I going too?

-

"Why are you sending us to The Other Side?" Lucian asked my parents as they gathered my friends and me into my father's office for a private chat.

"Zander already told you guys why. When you get there, you'll figure out what you'll need to do," my mother said.

Great like that explained a lot.

"What is it like over there?" Saphira asked with excitement.

"That's for us to know, and for you all to find out."

"What else do you want to tell us?" Blaike asked.

"Well, we want you guys to be in charge. There are about 35 of you going there, and you 5 will be in charge."

"Wait, I'm going too?" I asked feeling confused.

"Yes, you will be going too," my mother stated.

"But, I'm a vampire. Are there any vampires down there?"

"No, The Other Side is a realm for werewolves only."

"So why am I going?"

"Because we don't label you as a vampire, you are one of us."

"Oh, so now I'm one of you guys. What happened to 'we don't know if you're a threat or in danger so you're on house arrest?!' "

My father excused my friends leaving my parents and me all alone.

"I'm not allowed to leave the house, but you're sending me to another dimensional world?"

"There's nothing to worry about. There will be no humans or vampires, and you'll be under protection."

"Why exactly are you sending us there?" I asked my father.

"There is a war down there, and they believe you guys can resolve it."

"How long have you known about this?"

"We were going to send you guys there regardless. Now just seems like the perfect time."

"This doesn't make any sense. What else are you guys hiding from me?"

"Leilani, maybe you should just get some rest. We can talk more tomorrow," my mother exclaimed.

I groaned before heading out of the office.

"So, are you coming with us?" Saphira asked as we both walked upstairs to our rooms.

"Yes, apparently I am..."

"You don't seem happy about it. What's wrong?"

"I'm a vampire going to another dimension filled with werewolves; people I don't even know. That's what's wrong."

After saying goodnight to my best friend and to the others I grabbed my phone and texted Elias.

Hey.

I rested my phone on my nightstand and started to get ready for bed.

After I finished washing my face, brushing my teeth, and using the bathroom, I changed out of my clothing and into a tank top and climbed into bed.

Hey.

Did anything interesting happen tonight at your packhouse? Like an announcement of some sort?

I waited for about 2 minutes until he replied.

Yeah, they're sending us to The Other Side.


	22. Chapter 22

Saturday, November 17

"Are you sure we won't get caught?" Elias asked me as I led him towards the underground of our house.

"Yeah, my dad never wakes up during the middle of the night. We won't get caught."

We finally arrived at its door. I took out my father's keys and placed the smallest one into the keyhole. I slowly turned the key clockwise and pushed the door causing it to loudly creak open.

I turned to look at Elias as he rolled his eyes.

I finally released the door and took out the keys. I turned on the light switch and stared in awe at the room filled with books.

"Woah, this place is insane," Elias exclaimed as he stepped into the room after me.

The room held 10 shelves filled with books. "This is my father's library. This room is out of bounds, but if we want to know what to expect when we get to The Other Side, we need to read up on it."

"What do you already know about The Other Side?" Elias asked before walking towards the nearest bookshelf.

"Literally nothing. I've asked my parents about it before, but they just dodged the question. All I really know about it is that every 2 years the Alpha and Luna of every pack must go there for a meeting or something. Oh and that there's supposedly a war over there..."

"You know just as much as me. Now, how the hell are we going to find books about The Other Side? Where do we even start?"

"Well, I guess we should stop talking and get to looking," I stated before walking over to the farthest bookshelf. I heard Elias grunt which made me smile.

After about 20 minutes of searching, we had made no progress. "This is ridiculous," Elias complained before sliding down onto the floor.

"There has to be at least one book in here that talks about The Other Side..." I muttered while travelling my eyes across every bookshelf.

"Well, I'm tired and it's way too early to be doing this," he exclaimed before getting back up. He was right about that. It was currently around 4:00am. In the process of getting up, he knocked down a book from its shelf. Turns out, I'm not the only one who was clumsy.

"Hey what's that one about?" I asked before walking over towards him. Elias reached down and picked up the book.

"The Other Side," he read before rolling his eyes.

He brought the book towards the table and sat down. I walked towards him and pulled up a chair beside him.

"How old is this thing?" he asked before wiping the dust off its cover.

"Very old, I'm guessing. We don't have time to read the whole thing. Let's just quickly browse through it."

Elias opened the book and flipped to the first page.

"Fan-flipping-tastic. It's in Latin," I exclaimed while staring down at the fonts displayed on the page.

"Fan-flipping-tastic?" Elias questioned. I stuck out my tongue at him before grabbing the book. "Well, that's that. Let's get outta here."

"Wait, who said I couldn't read Latin?"

"Are you serious? You can read Latin?" I asked feeling impressed. What else could this mysterious guy do?

"Matter of fact, yes. I can."

"Great, read it please."

"Latum Alterum, quod etiam notum est Álterum Latus III-"

"In english please."

"Latum Alterum, also known as The Other Side, is a 3-dimensional world where werewolves dwell. It was created by the moon goddess as a gift of freedom to the werewolves. In Latum Alterum, there are 4 domains ruled by 4 powerful Alphas. Alpha Ignis, Alpha Aqua, Alpha Caeli, and Alpha Terra. Alpha Ignis controls the element of fire, Alpha Aqua controls the element of water, Alpha Caeli controls the element of air, and Alpha Terra controls the element of earth."

"This is crazy..." I muttered.

"Every 20 years, every werewolf between the ages 16-23 that are apart of a pack on earth must be sent to Latum Alterum. They must complete their deed chosen by the Moon Goddess before returning back to earth. If they complete their deed, the Moon Goddess will be pleased and will be reminded that werewolves can live on earth with other inhabitants without causing destruction or havoc."

"That's enough. We need to get out of here."

"But there's still so much to read..."

"Elias! We need to leave!"

I grabbed the book out of his grasp and placed it back on the shelf. I immediately stormed out of the room after flicking off the light switch. I waited for Elias to exit before locking the door.

"What's wrong?" he asked me as we ascended up the stairs.

"Everything is wrong. This place sounds weird and sketchy. I don't think I want to go over there."

"Well you don't really have a choice."

"Actually I do. I don't have to listen to anybody. I'm my own damn person, and if I say I'm not going over there, I'm not going over there."

"Leilani, just listen to yourself. What have you got to lose?"

"You. My friends. My dignity. What if this is all a trap and our parents just want to get rid of us?

"Come on. That's ridiculous."

He was right. That did sound ridiculous. Maybe I was overreacting.

"It's just that 4 months ago everything was somewhat normal. I had a plan for my life. Now I'm a freakin vampire, I have a werewolf mate, I'm on house arrest, and I'm about to go to a whole other world where I will literally be the only vampire there. It's just things are getting crazy and I'm not sure I can handle this."

Once we got upstairs Elias walked towards the front door as I followed behind him.

"I get it. Your life has drastically changed in a matter of 4 months, but who knows. Maybe you're destined to go to The Other Side. And there's nothing you have to worry about. Your friends will be there and I'll be there."

"So you're not my friend?" I asked him feeling confused.

"Well, I am if you want me to be..."

"Ok," I said with a slight smile.

Elias opened the door and stepped outside.

"Wait," I said.

Just as he turned around I pushed myself into him and gave him a hug.

"Thanks for giving me a chance."

He hesitated at first and then wrapped his arms around my petite body. He smelled so damn good.

"From now on, you'll always have me and I will try my best to protect you and take care of you. No matter what comes our way."


	23. Chapter 23

Friday, November 23

Today was my birthday. I woke up to Saphira suffocating me with a warm hug and placing kisses all over my face.

"Happy Birthday Best Friend!!" she exclaimed.

"Thanks, Saph," I responded before closing my eyes.

"Nope! Get up."

"No, I'm still tired. Give me another hour or two. What time is it anyway?"

"It's 8:00 am."

Was she crazy?

"Gurl, get yo ass out of my room now. I'm going back to sleep," I exclaimed before covering my head with my blanket.

"Fine, see you in a couple of hours," she exclaimed before leaving my room.

-

I woke up a second time to the smell of bacon. My absolute favourite. After using the bathroom, showering, and combing out my hair, I walked out of my room and descended down the stairs.

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to Leilani, Happy Birthday to you!"

My family and friends were all seated at the table. I noticed the rest of the gang was here too. Neha, Indigo, Violet, Julian, Raphael and Jasper. And I also spotted my mate looking at me with a little smirk.

"Thanks, guys," I exclaimed before giving everyone else a hug including Elias.

"We made you breakfast and then realized you are a vampire now. Here's your blood but if you want to try a bit of our food, help yourself! You can sit next to Elias," my mother exclaimed with a wink.

My cheeks heated up as I took a seat. I moved my eyes over towards Saphira to see her trying not to laugh.

-

I begged my mother to allow me to open my gifts later. She kindly said yes and that was that.

"Ok, so we've been thinking a lot lately, and we have decided that you can go outside for a bit today," my mother exclaimed.

"Wait, what?!!!" I asked with excitement.

"Yes, just you and Elias first, and then your friends. We figured you should get used to everyone's wolves before you go to The Other Side," my father said calmly.

I nervously swallowed as I thought about The Other Side. The date was getting closer and that scared me.

I was extremely curious to see my other friends' wolves, especially Jasper's. But above all, I was beyond excited to see my mate's wolf.

"Can we go now?" I asked my parents.

"Sure. Just don't pass the lake."

My mind was instantly flooded with memories of the lake. I was cringing about my stalkerish ways a couple of months ago and immediately gulped with embarrassment. I shifted my gaze towards Elias to see him hiding a smirk. I immediately got up from my chair and raced towards the closet. After throwing on my sweater and shoes, I walked towards the back door and opened it.

I was greeted by the cool air and the sound of the wind blowing against the trees. I ran onto the grass and threw myself onto the ground.

"Um, are you ok?" Elias asked from behind me.

"I haven't been outside for 7 weeks and 4 days!!!!!" I yelled as I got up and starting running around in circles.

It was my first time outside as a Vampire. To be honest, I was quite surprised that I didn't rebel against my parents because it was often tempting to sneak out at night.

"Race you to the lake?" I didn't even wait for him to respond as I started running. It was a feeling that I couldn't describe. It was as if I was floating. I felt carefree and I never wanted that moment to end.

I finally arrived at the lake with a smile on my face. I hadn't been here in so long. I turned around expecting to see Elias, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Isn't he supposed to be fast too? He's a werewolf," I told myself.

Suddenly, I saw him. The same wolf that stared at me as I was taking down the clothing from the line back in September. So it was him. He trotted towards me slowly causing me to freeze. He was huge. His fur was black with a unique spot of brown right in between his ears.

He was beautiful.

I reached out my hand to touch him as he slowly closed his eyes. As I ran my fingers through his thick dark fur he started to purr. He was adorable.

He then proceeded to lick my face causing me to stagger back while laughing.

"Hi," I said with a smile.

He suddenly started to walk around me as I stood there feeling self-conscious. It was almost as if he was examining me.

He then nudged me from behind causing me to turn around. He dropped to the ground and started to roll. He wanted me to play with him! So that's exactly what I did.

We played for a bit before Elias decided he wanted to shift back.

I shielded my eyes as he changed back into his clothes. "You can look now."

I opened my eyes and turned around to see that Elias was very close to me. Matter of fact his face was inches away from mine.

"Gray likes you. A lot," he said as his radiant eyes left mine and travelled towards my lips.

"He does?" I inquired before slowly licking my lips.

"Mhmm," he hummed as he continued staring at my lips.

"Well, tell him I like him too."

"Will do."

He walked away from me and towards the lake. What a tease!

"Do you still come to this lake, stalker girl?"

"No, it's kinda chilly now but maybe next- wait what did you call me?!!!"

"Stalker girl," he chuckled.

"Ok, I am not a stalker, you're the one who was creepily watching me as I did my laundry at my own damn house!!!!!"

"Yeah but you watched me every day for about 15 minutes for a week straight. That's pretty stalker-like if you ask me."

He knew that? I mean how long I stood there watching him? How embarrassing.

"Well, I'm not asking you!" I stated before rolling my eyes. "Let's just both admit we were stalkers."

"Fine, we're both stalkers."

"Good."

I stood next to him as we both stared at our reflections in the water.

"Beautiful."

"Huh? Did you say something?" I asked him.

"Nope. We should probably head back now. You still have to see the others' wolves."


	24. Chapter 24

Once we made it back to the house, I immediately called the other's outside.

"I am so excited to see their wolves, you have no idea!" I exclaimed to my friends as I watched the others and Blaike walk towards the forest.

"Hey, why don't you see if you can identify who's who without me telling you first?" Elias suggested.

"Ok, I mean it shouldn't be too hard...right?"

I looked over at Saphira, Nathan, and Lucian to see them all shrug their shoulders.

"It all depends," Nathan said.

I mean just because Indigo and Violet looked the exact same as humans didn't mean their wolves would look the exact same.

First Blaike's dark brown wolf came out. And beside him walked a smaller wolf that was a silver gray.

"That's Neha!" I exclaimed with excitement as I turned to look at Elias for confirmation.

"Her wolf's name is Amara."

I watched both Amara and Kasem cuddle into each other as they fooled around on the grass.

Moments later, a cream coated wolf trotted towards me with its wagging tail. "This has to be either Indigo or Violet."

As I reached out to touch its fur, another wolf coated with fawn fur trotted beside me. They were both relatively the same size, but so distinctly different.

"Alright, I think she's Violet," I exclaimed while placing my left hand on the fawn one.

"And she's Indigo," I said before hesitantly placing my right hand on the cream wolf.

I turned to look at my friends for reassurance. "Please tell me I'm right."

"Yeah, you are. You're pretty good at this," Nathan said.

"Thanks," I said while smiling at Nathan. "What are their names?"

"Violet's wolf's name is Luana and Indigo's is Esme," Saphira said.

I tried my best to hug both wolves at the exact same time, but it was difficult. They were quite big.

"They're beautiful," I muttered as I stared at both wolves with admiration.

"Ok, I don't think she'll get these three correct. There's no way she'll know who's who," Elias said.

"Oh ye of little faith," I sighed before looking at the three wolves approaching me. They were obviously Jasper, Julian, and Raphael.

The one nearest to me was a medium brown colour. He radiated warmth with his brown eyes. "Julian."

"Yup, his wolf's name is Gonzalo," Lucian said.

"Hi Gonzalo," I exclaimed while combing my hand through his soft fur.

After acknowledging me, he joined Esme as they trotted away from us and began playing with each other. "They're always at it," Elias said from behind.

I chuckled while moving my gaze towards the last two wolves.

"Alright, I can tell by the eyes," I muttered while walking towards the one on my left.

His coated fur was a dark silver. I knelt down to take a closer look at its eyes and saw that they were a striking blue. "This is one is Jasper," I said while petting his head.

"And this one is Raphael," I exclaimed while petting the other wolf who had a unique pattern of white, brown, and black.

"Jasper's wolf's name is Estevao and Raphael's is Ivo," Elias exclaimed.

"All of their names are literally so beautiful," I sighed as I admired all the wolves in front of me.

"Honestly, I'm so grateful that I am apart of this. This amazing thing. My biological parents could have easily given me to Vampires, or Witches, or even humans. If that would've happened, who knows? Maybe I wouldn't have met any of you guys. But she chose the most incredible creatures ever. Athena and Zander decided to keep me and for that I am happy."

Saphira walked towards me and embraced me with a warm hug.

"Human or Vampire, you're still one of us," she said.

-

"Alright, are we all here?" Blaike asked as we all gathered together in our basement.

"Yup," Julian said.

"Ok, so as you all know, all of us are being sent to The Other Side," Blaike said. "We all have no idea what to expect, what will happen and who we will meet, but we must all promise this one thing. To have each other's backs no matter what. To think of our family on earth and what our future holds. To not be selfish and put others first before ourselves. And to know the importance of sacrificing when our conscience tells us to do so."

"Yes," Lucian muttered. We all nodded our heads in agreement to Blaike.

"Am I the only one who is scared?" Violet asked as she placed her arm around Raphael.

"No, I'm scared too," Neha said.

"I think we all are," Jasper exclaimed. "I mean it's natural for us to be scared. We've never been there before and we have no idea what we are going to face. The only thing we have is each other and I believe this bond that we all have will grow as we live in The Other Side and face battles together."

"Well said," Julian responded.

"Just to add, can we all promise another thing?" Elias said.

I turned my gaze to my mate as he continued talking.

"Promise that you will protect her. I know she's used to being different, but she knows us. Once we go to The Other Side, she'll meet many new people and she won't know any of them. We don't know if they're all good people over there. I mean they have a war right now. I will try my best to protect her, but for some reason, if I'm not around, do your part. See what is necessary and do it. Not just for her, but for all."

Elias finally moved his gaze towards me. I smiled at him as he nodded his head in response.

"Elias is right. We all need to protect each other... especially Leilani," Nathan said.

"Thanks, guys," I exclaimed feeling grateful for all of them.

"Alright, let's go upstairs! I want food," Julian exclaimed while getting up.

"You always want food," Indigo responded while rolling her eyes.

I watched all my friends walk up the stairs leaving just me and Elias behind.

"You okay?" he asked me.

"Yup, let's go eat lunch with the others."


	25. Chapter 25

Saturday, December 15

Today was the day and I was beyond terrified. It was currently 4 am as I stood in front of my bathroom mirror with my hands in my hair.

"Leilani, we're leaving soon," I heard Saphira call out from outside my bedroom door.

As I stared at my reflection in the mirror I couldn't help but think of how insane this whole thing was.

"Leilani?" Saphira called out as she walked into my room."Hey bestie, you ok?"

"Yup, I'm fine," I sighed as we both stared at our reflections in the mirror. She took my hand in hers as she laid her head against my shoulder. "How do you feel about this whole thing? I haven't asked you yet," I asked my best friend.

"I feel anxious. The Other Side sounds like a cool place, but I don't know. Something just doesn't feel right."

She was correct. Something didn't feel right. To be sent to another world with little knowledge, little understanding, and no explanations was terrifying. And I hated the feeling of being unsure. Of not knowing what to expect.

"Come on, we have to go," Saphira exclaimed.

-

"Are you sure we don't need to bring anything with us? You know a soccer ball, food, our phones?" Nathan asked my mother.

"Nope. You don't need anything," my mother exclaimed.

"How are we going to connect with the real world? With you guys?"

"There will be a way to connect with us only if necessary, but the world's memory of you guys will be erased."

Wait what?

"What does that mean?" Saphira asked her father.

"It means right before you enter The Other Side, your handprint will be scanned and you will be erased from every human's mind and every data system in the world. It will be like you were never born," Uncle Stefan answered.

"Well that's kind of cool and kind of tragic," Blaike said.

We were going to be erased. What the hell?

"I know this might all seem weird, crazy, and suspicious. But trust me, it will all make sense eventually," my father stated.

"Wait, so when we get back, no one will know who we are?" Lucian asked.

"No, when you get back your handprint will be re-scanned and things will return back to normal."

I highly doubted things would return back to normal. There was no way that could actually happen.

"None of this is making sense. I have a bad feeling about all of this," Lucian whispered to Saphira.

"I know, babe. Me too."

"Alright! Everybody head out!"

After my friends said their goodbyes to their parents, we all exited the house. As soon as we stepped outside, we were greeted by 3 black vans.

"12 people in each van!" my father shouted at us.

"Leilani, you're with us in the first van, Lucian and Saphira, you're both in the second van, and Nathan and Blaike; third van," my father instructed us before jogging over to the driver side of the first van.

"Just try and calm down the younger ones," my mother suggested to all of us.

I looked at my anxious friends and finally realized that I wasn't the only one who was terrified. Even Blaike, the leader and the guy who showed no emotions had on a gloomy face. A face of uncertainty.

I instructed my 11 to enter the van in an orderly fashion and to buckle their seatbelts.

"What's the real reason why they're sending us to The Other Side?" asked an older girl asked as soon as the van started moving.

"I don't know, ok? I have no idea," I told her.

"You're the adopted daughter of the Alpha and Luna. You should know everything," said an older boy with a tone of annoyance.

What was with the disrespect? "That doesn't mean they tell me everything. Just stay quiet."

I didn't even know how we were going to get to The Other Side. I just knew whatever Elias and I read in that book and what my parents told me; which was basically nothing.

After around 30 minutes of driving in the bumpy vehicle, the van suddenly stopped.

The van doors opened exposing the outside before my father instructed all of us to get out. As soon as I stepped out, I analyzed my surroundings.

We were in the middle of a forest. Dark thick trees surrounded us completely blocking the sky. It was quite chilly causing me to I rub my arms up and down. "Follow us!" my father shouted as soon as all three vans were emptied out. I followed my parents as my 11 walked beside and behind me. We continued walking for about 5 minutes until we saw it. This huge dark cave. "Stay close and follow whoever is in front of you!"

As we walked into the cave, I noticed we were surrounded by tall pillars. It was dark and quiet. There were these wooden ladders leaning against some of the pillars. The cave seemed deserted. "Ah!" the boy beside me shouted as he tripped over a rock.

"I got you," I exclaimed while helping him regain his balance. "Watch your step."

As I held onto his hand we continued following my parents until we reached the middle of the cave. I saw a flight of stairs supported by many rocks that led to a tall door. There were these golden stones scattered on the stairs and on some of the pillars that were near the door. The door frame was gold and in this door, a blue light shone through illuminating the dark atmosphere. 

"You're the 6th pack to enter and there's still many after you, so we have to hurry," my father said.

We watched him as he walked towards the stairs.

"Alright, Lucian and Saphira, your group is first." We all watched Lucian and Saphira gather their group and walk slowly towards the stairs.

"Before you walk up the stairs, remember to place your hand on this screen," my father instructed as he held up a tablet in his hand.

"I'll go first," Lucian stated.

"Babe, uh be careful," Saphira sighed.

We all watched Lucian place his hand on the tablet before hesitantly walk up the stairs. Once he got to the top he had first placed his arm into the portal and then the rest of his body. In a matter of seconds, Lucian had vanished.

"Alright, come on! Who's next?" One by one, the boys and girls followed Lucian steps; first scanning their handprint and then entering the portal. After Saphira, Blaike, Nathan, and the rest of the others went, it was just me and my group left.

I watched my 11 all scan their hands then travel up the stairs one by one until they were all gone. I finally stood there alone with my parents feeling strange. I didn't want to go.

"Oh, I'll miss you so much," my mother exclaimed before giving me a hug.

"I'm so sorry it has to be this way. Take care of your friends and yourself, and try your best to complete the deed the Moon Goddess gives you as soon as possible," my father said.

After giving my father a hug I placed my right hand against the cold tablet. "Alright, you can go now."

I walked slowly towards the stairs and placed my foot against the first stair. I closed my eyes taking a deep breath. There was no turning back. This was it.

After finally making it to the top of the stairs. I stared into the portal that illuminated the bright blue light. I reluctantly turned around as I looked down at my parents. "Goodbye," I whispered as a tear slipped from my eye. I turned back to look at the portal and finally stepped inside.

It remained blue as I stood there for a brief moment until I was suddenly falling into this tunnel. A weird sensation filled my body as I started to scream. I fell faster and faster as I began to feel lightheaded. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally made it. I fell onto a thick net breathing heavily as Nathan helped me onto the ground.

"Shh, it's ok. We're here," Nathan said trying to calm me down. He removed my hair from my face as I finally regained my balance.

Before I could even get a chance to look at my surroundings, a tall black male walked towards me completely gaining my attention.

"Hello. I'm Mateo. Welcome to Latum Alterum or what you wolves call it, The Other Side."


	26. Chapter 26

"Follow me."

I walked beside Nathan, Saphira, Lucian, and Blaike with our pack following behind us. I watched as Mateo moved aside a curtain of leaves to reveal something so magical. "This is Regnum Aqua. It is located in the west part of Latum Alterum. This is Alpha Aqua's domain."

I gasped as I stared at the view in front of me. The castle, water, and greenery were beautiful, but the sky stood out to me the most. I had never in my life seen something so compelling. It was a bright sky blue with vibrant purple clouds that held a hint of pink. And just behind the towering castle, tints of orange and yellow peeked through as if the sun or some bright star resembling it was going down.

"Let's go," Mateo said. We all began to follow him while admiring the view.

"This place looks like paradise," Nathan exclaimed in awe. As we followed Mateo, I moved over towards the left-hand side to get a better view of the water. It's crystal clear quality made it easy for me to look at the fish. Popping colours of the rainbow zipped past my eyes as I dipped my hand in the water. A class of yellow and red fish swam around my hand tickling me. I chuckled as I swayed my fingers back and forth admiring them.

"They're beautiful," Saphira sighed next to me.

"Yes, they are," I sighed as I removed my hand from the water before standing up.

"Come on Leilani, we gotta go," Nathan said causing us to look away from the water. We continued following Mateo as we walked through the green environment seeing amazing things I had never seen before. "What are they?" I asked as I saw two small creatures who looked like tiny humans stare at us from the leaves of a tree. "They're Aqua prædictas Fatales. They help take care of our plants," Mateo responded. I stared at him with confusion. "They're Fairies."

I stared at the fairies in awe as they flew away and disappeared into the trees. We continued walking through the forest until we reached the entrance of a long bridge. "Just stay close," Mateo exclaimed to our pack.

The water flowed underneath us showcasing more sea creatures and beautiful plants. "I think I'm going to like it here," Lucian said. "Me too," others added on.

We crossed the bridge and began walking through a small maze. "Our domain has many gardens, and this is one of them. He's gathering the packs in here." We entered this huge garden filled with many people. There were these pretty butterflies roaming above us as the star's light reflected off of their wings. This place was extremely beautiful.

We approached the middle as Mateo walked towards a tall man. As he turned around, his green eyes sparkled suddenly connected with mine.

As he turned around, his green eyes sparkled suddenly connected with mine  
"Who is that?" Saphira whispered to me as we both stared at him.

"I'm not sure," I answered back while staring at him.

"He's hot," a girl from our pack said as we watched him continue talking with Mateo. I moved my eyes away from them as I stared at the other packs. There was a lot of us. Some looked unsure while others beamed with joy while admiring the place. I no longer felt afraid. Maybe this wasn't going to be as bad as I thought.

"Alright, we're still waiting for two more packs, so just remain patient," Mateo announced to us.

As we waited, I stood there talking with my friends but ever so often my eyes would land on the tall man. He was literally staring at me. "Looks like someone can't get their eyes off of you," Saphira whispered into my ear. "Yeah," I responded. He smiled at me before looking away as he continued talking with Mateo.

Soon the last two packs entered. "Leilani," I heard someone call out. I turned to see Elias and our friends walking towards us.

"Indigo, Violet, Neha!" Saphira exclaimed before giving the girls a hug.

"Hey," Nathan said before him, Blaike, and Lucian greeted the boys.

Elias wrapped his arms around me as I embraced him back. I opened my eyes to see the man staring at me. He was kind of creepy and intimidating. "Are you ok?" my mate asked me.

"Yes, I'm good. What about you?" I asked him while checking him out.

"I'm fine. This place is amazing," he said while looking up at the butterflies.

"Yeah, it is."

"Alright listen up! Welcome to Regnum Aqua. I am Alpha Aqua, but you can all just call me Sebastián," the man said. "I know a lot of you may have questions, but don't fret. You will be able to ask them later. Right now, my man Mateo will show you where you will be staying. We'll all meet at the castle tonight for dinner."

I watched as the packs followed Mateo out of the garden as I began to follow them.

"You. What's your name?" I heard someone ask me.

I turned around to see Sebastián standing in front of me. His green eyes stared into my soul as he looked down at me. "Uh, it's Leilani," I responded.

"You must be the vampire. Hi, I'm Sebastián," he said while reaching his hand out.

"He already said that," Elias said while rolling his eyes. I pinched Elias' arm as I reached my other hand to shake Sebastián's.

"It's nice to meet you," I said as he continued holding my hand.

"Likewise."


	27. Chapter 27

"Each pack gets their own house," Mateo told us as we followed him.

"Uh, how many packs are here in Regnum Aeri?" Nathan asked.

"The moon goddess only allows 10 packs per domain. So there are roughly 300 of you guys altogether in Latum Alterum. Pretty cool right?"

"Yeah, um is this is our house?" Lucian asked with a shocking voice.

"Yup. It's way cooler inside. Wanna see?"

We all followed Mateo up the stairs and into the house.

"Woah," Saphira sighed as we all looked around.

"There's 3 living rooms, 3 dining rooms, 2 kitchens, 38 bedrooms with their own bathrooms, 5 other washrooms, and a huge basement, as well as a balcony and pool.

"This is insane," Blaike stated.

"Go ahead and settle in. Your name will be on your bedroom door so you'll know which room is specifically for you and if you want to share with your mate, by all means, go ahead. Everything you need is all here, but if you ever need me, just head over to the castle. And don't forget we'll all meet there around 7 pm for dinner. Enjoy!"

We all watched Mateo exit our house before many people started screaming with excitement. "Come on! Let's go check out our rooms," Nathan said while grabbing my hand and dragging me up the stairs.

"I guess we all get our own rooms," Saphira said once we all made it upstairs. With a cheeky smile on her face, she started to walk away from her mate.

"Nope, you're stuck with me," Lucian responded before grabbing her hand pulling her into him. They started kissing each other causing Blaike to roll his eyes and for Nathan to gag.

"Ok, that's gross. Y'all better not make too much noise at night or I will complain to Sebastián," Nathan exclaimed.

Both Saphira and Lucian giggled before disappearing into their room. I watched Blaike enter into his bedroom leaving Nathan and me alone.

"I don't see my room," I said while checking the doors. 

"Yeah, me too. Maybe ours are all the way at the end," Nathan said while walking towards the end of the long hallway.

"Found mine," he said. "Look, your's right in front of mine," he exclaimed.

After checking out Nathan's room, I walked into mine. I instantly noticed my queen size bed causing me to throw myself onto it. I sighed in delight before dozing off.

-

"Wakey wakey sleepy head. It's 6:45 pm!" I heard Nathan say as he tried pulling the blanket off of me.

Great. I overslept. "Just a little longer," I muffled into my pillow.

"No tiger, get up," he said before completely ripping off the blanket from my bed. 

"NO!" I yelled as I rolled off my bed. He's so lucky I slept with my clothing on. What if I was only in my underwear and bra? That would've been embarrassing and humiliating for the both of us.

"Come on. We can't be late," he exclaimed.

I got up before slapping his arm. I then stormed into the washroom to get ready.

-

We finally made it to the front of the castle seeing two different guys guarding the doors. I guess they took turns guarding the castle. We all watched Blaike talk to them for a brief moment before they opened it up for us. 

We began to walk into the castle admiring the architecture and design. "I wouldn't mind having my own castle," Nathan said with a smirk.

"What would you put in it?" I asked him.

"I would have a soccer field where I could play soccer whenever I wanted to and a room just for my own mini airplanes collection."

"Sounds exactly like you," I replied.

As we approached these huge wooden doors, we heard music and laughter. They opened up and we were immediately greeted by Mateo. "Welcome guys! Dinner is almost ready," he exclaimed.

To my surprise, there were eleven long tables set up. Nine of them were filled with people as we walked over towards our table. I sat down before yawning. "You're still tired tiger?" Nathan asked me before taking a seat next to me.

"Yes, I'm still tired. We left our house super early to come to this place. The time differences are so different, " I complained as I rested my head against his shoulder.

"Did you not have a nap?"

"Yes, but I'm still tired."

"Don't worry. After dinner, you can go back to bed."

Nope. After dinner, I was hoping to talk with Sebastián and Mateo because I wanted answers. There was supposedly a war, but I didn't see any conflict. Everything seemed fine which made me confused. Was there really a war going on? 

"Hey, guys!" I heard a familiar voice say.

"Hey!" Saphira exclaimed. I watched Neha walk over towards Blaike giving him a peck on his lips. They were so cute.

I then watched the rest of the gang take their seats at our table. Where was Elias?

"He's coming. Stop scrunching your face," Jasper told me with a smile. I blushed not knowing my thoughts were that obvious.

Moments later, Elias came strolling in. I watched him walk over towards me with a smile on my face. "Hey," he said before taking a seat next to me. "Hi." 

I turned to look at my mate noticing he looked a bit anxious. "Are you ok?" I asked him.

"Mhmm," he hummed in response.

"WELCOME EVERYONE TO YOUR VERY FIRST MEAL AT THE CASTLE!" Sebastián announced while walking into the room.

Many people started hollering with excitement after hearing Sebastián words. 

"My waiter's are currently bringing out your food so sit tight and enjoy!"Sebastián exclaimed before taking a seat at his table located at the front of the room.

"Food!!" Julian exclaimed as we saw several women and men bringing out plates of food with silver coverings.

\- 

I watched my friends dig into their delicious looking meals. "Are you sure you don't want to remind Sebastian that you're a vampire?" Saphira asked me.

"No, it's fine," I reassuringly replied. I didn't really want to drink blood in front of all these werewolves. "I'll just taste a bit of your food," I told her. Whenever I would get the chance to speak with him privately, which I hope was soon, I would ask him about my blood supply.

After everyone was finished eating, Sebastián stood up to speak again. "Because there are so many of you, I will have to speak to you in smaller groups so I can answer your questions. I'll speak to the MoonLight pack first, the others may explore the castle while they wait for their turn!"

"Awesome," Raphael said as we all got up. We headed out of the room and started exploring the castle.

"So, what do y'all think about this place?" Nathan asked our friends.

"It's so pretty. I love it here," Violet exclaimed.

"It's interesting," Julian said.

To be honest, I was still quite unsure. I just wanted to ask my questions asap so I could get some answers.

"What's this place?" Indigo asked as we approached a long narrow hallway. On both sides, many portraits of men were hung up next to each other.

"They could be all previous Alpha Aqua's," Jasper said.

"Yeah, I think you're right Jasper," I exclaimed while examining each painting.

We finally approached the end of the hallway. I immediately noticed Sebastián's picture.

"Look, there'sSebastián," Violet exclaimed. I instantly started to hear Elias muttering incoherent nothings under his breath.

"Did you say something?" I asked him.

"No," he responded sounding grumpy.

"Is t-that the moon g-goddess?"

I looked over toward to where Saphira was pointing at seeing a huge painted portrait of a woman holding what seemed like the moon in her hands. A blanket covered with stars sat on her head resembling her hair. The background surrounding her looked like many galaxies and beneath her was land.

"Yeah, I think so," Neha said.

I stared at the painting with curiosity. Was she even real? And if she was, was that what she actually looked like?

"Guys, it's our turn," Blaike said.

Just as I was about to turn around to follow the others out of the hallway, something out of the extraordinary caught my eye.

"I could've sworn I saw something move," I whispered while looking at the Moon Goddess' painting. I rubbed my eyes frantically before looking at it again. 

"Leilani hurry up! Sebastián's waiting," Saphira shouted at me from the middle of the hallway. I turned around to see that the other's were already gone and it was just Saphira and me left.

"Are you ok?" Saphira asked me as she finally approached me.

"Y-yeah, I think I'm just tired," I responded. 

"Me too, but the quicker we get this Q and A session done, the faster we can go to sleep," she exclaimed before pinching my cheek. "Come on."

With our hands in each others', we skipped down the long hallway to join the rest of the gang as we all walked back to speak with Sebastián.


	28. Chapter 28

I begged Elias to join my pack and me as we asked Sebastián our questions. We entered the dining room to see a pack leaving out of another exit. Sebastián, Mateo, and a girl I had never seen before stood in front of their table waiting for us to approach them.

"Welcome SilverCreek pack," Sebastián exclaimed to us.

We all gathered around the three of them with the majority of us staring at the girl.

"This is Nailah," Sebastián said.

"Is she your mate?" someone asked him   
"Is she your mate?" someone asked him.

"No, I'm not. But if his mate doesn't show up soon, who knows? Maybe I'll just have to take her place," she said with a cheeky smile. I carefully watched to see Mateo and Sebastián's reaction. Mateo rolled his eyes while Sebastián just cleared his throat.

"Alright, who wants to ask the first question?" With my hands remaining down I saw that many hands went up.

"Haha, I'll guess we can just go in order. For now, ask your most burning question because there are still three other packs to go after you," he said.

"Is there really a war going on?" asked a girl.

"Um no, there isn't. That's what every Alpha tells their pack to make this whole thing more interesting. There is really no war going on," he said with a chuckle.

They lied to us? 

"So is there a deed we must do before leaving this place or is that also a lie?" Blaike asked with a tone of annoyance.

"Yes, that part is true. As a whole, meaning within all 10 packs, you must complete a deed before you leave. It might not involve the majority of you guys, but it will involve some, " he said before looking at me.

Why was he looking at me? Was it that obvious I was going to be involved with succeeding the deed?

"This whole 'trip' to The Other Side is for you all to experience something that could possibly change your lives and your perspective on many things."

"How long do packs usually stay here?" a boy asked.

"It all depends. It could take just one month, or even six."

"How long has this place existed?"

"For many many many years. Many of you guys have probably seen the hall of the Alphas. Those portraits are all of our previous Alpha Aqua's," Sebastián exclaimed. So Jasper was right.

"How are you the Alpha Aqua?" someone asked him.

"Well my father was the previous one, and then my grandfather, and then my great-grandfather, so basically I inherited the title. My eldest son, when the time comes, will be the next Alpha Aqua."

"Are you guys the only werewolves living on Latum Alterum?" Nathan asked.

"No. Latum Alterum is divided into 4 domains. The North domain of Earth is ruled by Alpha Terra. The East domain of Air is ruled by Alpha Caeli. The South domain of Fire is ruled by Alpha Ignis, and the West domain of water is ruled by Alpha Aqua... which is me," Sebastián stated.

People gasped in awe as Sebastián explained the division of The Other Side. It sounded fascinating but also kind of creepy.

"What's the point of this whole elemental stuff?" Lucian asked.

"Each element is the heart of each domain. If the element is not used effectively, their domain suffers and also the people living in it. Each element not only connects with Latum Alterum but also with the earth. They work together to keep both worlds balanced."

"Do you know other Alpha's personally?" Saphira asked.

"Long ago, all the Alpha's were friends. They helped each other and protected each other which caused the strong bond between them and the Moon Goddess. But unfortunately, something tragic happened a while back... so no, I have no contact with any Alpha. I don't even know their names. We all keep to ourselves, and that's the end of it," Sebastián exclaimed.

My eyes widened as I heard Sebastián's words. None of the Alpha's were talking? 

"So we won't be able to visit the other domains?" Lucian asked.

"I mean why would you? Nothing in the North, East, or South concerns any of you guys," he said with a serious tone.

I could sense the tension in the atmosphere as no one dared to ask another question.

"Alright, that's enough for one night. You guys can leave. Mateo will walk you guys out. Nailah you can go gather the next pack," he said.

I looked at Elias to see that he looked annoyed and irritated. "Let's go," he exclaimed while taking my hand in his.

"Uh, Leilani? Can you stay behind for a bit?" I heard Sebastián call to me.

"I'll stay too," Elias told me.

"No, it's ok. I'll meet you in a bit."

"You sure?" he asked with uncertainty.

"I'm positive. Just wait for me out there," I exclaimed while motioning to the door.

I watched my mate until he disappeared out of the room and then turned around to face Sebastián.

"You must be thirsty, I'll have someone bring you your blood supply to your house immediately," he exclaimed.

"Um, thanks."

I stood there feeling weird as I could feel him literally checking me out. I had many questions, but I was only going to ask a few.

"Am I the only vampire who has ever stepped on Latum Alterum?" I asked after looking up at him.

"Yes, you are," he said with a grin. "You're special."

I internally cringed at the way he said that.

"Have any others tried coming here?"

"Yes, but they died trying so they just gave up," he exclaimed. Geez, that's sad.

"If you don't mind me asking, what actually happened between the Alphas?"

"Where do I even begin?" he asked with a sigh. "It's going to sound a little bit complicated but trust me it really isn't. There's this ring. We call it the Iungo ring(iungo not lungo. The i looks like an l). Basically one day all the alpha's decided to visit Deam Hortus. Deam Hortus is the goddess' garden which is located in the middle of Latum Alterum. It brings all the domains together. Anyways, while they were there, they found the ring. Now, this ring has been recorded in many books but no one, until that point, had ever seen it before. When these Alpha's discovered it, they couldn't understand why it appeared during their time of reign. They decided to put it in a place where only they knew of and vowed to not steal it or wear it because of its dangerous power. According to the books, when the wrong person wears it, their heart hardens and turns evil which causes them to do bad stuff. It impacts the earth and the other domains."

"Wait, so the ring was designed for a specific person to wear it?" I asked him.

"Yes, according to the books. Next thing you know, Alpha Ignis takes it. All the Alphas became furious and warned him about its powers. He ignored it and that's when all hell broke loose. He wore the ring and caused destruction. It also caused the massive forest fires on earth... you might have heard of it."

"Yes, my parents told me about the forest fires, but I didn't know about this place or the connection."

"This caused a war among all Alphas. The other 3 allied together to destroy Alpha Ignus. They ended up killing him and Regnum Ignus elected their new Alpha."

"Oh my gosh," I gasped.

"The others were very sad about the whole thing but they knew they had no choice. They all decided to keep to themselves because of it. They wanted to forget the past and move on... My father was alive when this happened. He was one of the Alpha's who killed Alpha Ignus. He's no longer alive now, but when he was I remember times when he would just space out probably thinking of what had happened. I wish those horrible memories could've been erased. It, unfortunately, tormented him until his death. Nothing was able to revive him. Not even the water from the Goddess's fountain."

"Wow," I muttered underneath my breath.

Suddenly the door opened revealing Nailah.

"Uh, Seb. Are you guys almost done?" she asked with an irritated voice.

"Yeah. we're done."

I watched Nailah close the door before turning back to Sebastián. "Thanks for sharing," I exclaimed.

"Yeah, just don't go off telling everybody," he exclaimed. "Also I'm telling every pack that you're a vampire. I'd rather them know now than finding out later."

"Yeah, that makes sense."

"Your blood will be delivered to you right away. Enjoy your night."

"Thank you," I responded.

I walked away feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the new information. But thanks to Sebastián, I knew exactly what needed to be done.


	29. Chapter 29

"You took forever. What were you guys talking about?" Elias asked me as soon as I exited the dining room.

"I'll tell you everything in a bit," I exclaimed. "After your packs meeting with Sebastián, I want you to meet me at my house at around 11 pm. Bring the gang too," I exclaimed.

I left a confused Elias as I speedily exited the castle. Once I arrived at our house, I immediately rushed into the first kitchen knowing they would all be there.

"Hey, uh some guy brought you your blood," Saphira exclaimed.

I stared at my blood supply on the table feeling very thirsty. "How did it go?" Nathan asked me.

"I asked Elias to bring his pack over at around 11 pm. Once they get here, I want us to talk. There's so much I have to tell you guys," I exclaimed before taking a seat.

"Um, I'm just going to..." Lucian said while stepping out of the kitchen. Saphira followed her mate as Blaike went into the basement leaving Nathan and me all alone.

Once I was finished, I cleaned up the little mess I had made and then sat back down in my seat.

"Be careful Leilani, I think Sebastián has a thing for you," Nathan said.

"Yeah, he's kinda creepy, but don't worry. I know what to do if things ever get out of control. You've taught me well enough," I said with a chuckle reminiscing the times when Nathan tried teaching me self defence, at 9 years old.

After waiting anxiously for another 30 minutes, the clock finally struck 11.

"Gather the others. I'll be waiting outside," I exclaimed to Nathan.

I opened the door to see Elias and my friends making their way over towards me.

"Hey guys," I exclaimed.

"Hey girl," Neha responded.

"Whatever you have to say better be important. I'm tired," Violet yawned trying to keep her eyes open.

"Trust me, it's very important. You'll want to hear it."

After we all gathered together, my friends and I started searching for a more intimate place for us to talk.

"Is this a garden?" Jasper asked as we approached a trail of rocks leading to what seemed like a garden. "I assume so, let's go," I exclaimed.

"Woah, they're so much cooler at night," Indigo exclaimed in awe. She was correct. The butterflies seemed to glow in the dark illuminating their vibrant blues and purples. The big bright moon shone brightly causing its light to reflect off of our faces.

"Ah! What the hell is that?" Julian exclaimed in horror as he swung his arm over his head.

"It's alright. They're just fairies," I exclaimed with a laugh.

"There are fairies here?" Neha asked.

"Yup. Mateo said they help take care of the environment. Pretty cool right?"

"Yeah..." Neha said trying to touch a fairy that stood on a low tree branch.

"Ok, I can't wait any longer! I'm dying to know what you need to tell us. Spill!"

I told them everything. From the ring to Alpha Ignis' death, making sure to add every important detail.

"Damn," Jasper exclaimed.

"I was not expecting that," Raphael responded.

"They killed him?" Elias asked.

"Yeah, Sebastián said they didn't have a choice."

"They could've easily banished him or locked him up. Why did they kill him?"

"Eli. In order to stop the destruction, you must stop the destructor," Jasper replied.

I noticed Elias looking a bit down as rolled his eyes after hearing Jasper's words. Did Jasper not know about Elias' uncle?

"Wait, are you planning on..." Nathan inquired.

"Yes, I want to bring the Alpha's back together again. I don't know if this counts as the deed, but I'm going to talk with the other 3 Alpha's and try changing their minds."

"Leilani, did you not hear Sebastián? Nothing in the North, South, or the East concerns any of us," Nathan said.

"Nathan, I'm not just going to sit on my ass and wait for someone else to take action. And no, I'm not doing this because of the deed, I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do."

"If you're going on this adventure I want to come," Jasper exclaimed.

"I'll go," Elias stated.

"Me too," Neha responded.

"No, Neha. You're not going anywhere. It'll be too dangerous," Blaike barked at her. "I think Leilani should go with Elias, Nathan, and Jasper."

"Yeah that makes sense," Saphira exclaimed.

"Awh," Neha pouted.

"It's alright, I'll bring you a souvenir," I told her with a wink.

"So it's settled. And if anything goes wrong, mind link us right away," Blaike ordered the boys.

"We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning," I exclaimed.

"Leilani," Elias said. He motioned me to step away from our group so he could talk to me.

"Are you sure about this? What if your plan to bring the Alpha's back together again doesn't work?"

"Elias remember that night we went sneaking around in my father's library? I remember feeling iffy about the whole thing. You told me not to worry and to give this place a chance. You even said I may be destined to come to this place. And to be honest, I think you were right. I can't really describe it but something in my heart is telling me that I have a very important job to do and I can't take the risk of ignoring it."

"Yeah, I guess I understand, just what if something h-happens and-" he said before reaching my face to tuck the couple of white strands behind my ear.

His touch caused me to swallow very slowly. As I looked into his beautiful orbs, I could see worry and fear.

"Shhh," I said while placing my hand over his which was currently cupping my cheek. "No what ifs. Nothing is going to happen," I whispered to him.

"Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds, but which Alpha do you plan on visiting first?" Jasper asked me. Elias immediately dropped his hand before clearing his throat.

"Well, I've given it quite some thought and I plan on seeing Alpha Ignis first."


	30. Chapter 30

I said goodnight to the others and watched them leave the garden.

"Uh, how the hell are we going to know how to get to Regnum Ignis?" Jasper asked.

"Oh, I didn't even think about that..." I muttered feeling foolish.

"Why don't we stay for a couple of days before leaving?" Nathan suggested.

"What do you mean?" I asked him. I wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"I don't think we're ready to leave tomorrow. I mean we don't even know how we are getting there..." Nathan said.

"But who's going to tell us? I can't just ask Sebastian. I don't want him knowing about this."

"What about Mateo?" Elias butted in.

"Oh yeah... and there's Mateo. If I was to ask him about how to get there do you guys think he'll tell me?"

"Well he seems pretty chill and easy going so I think it's worth a shot," Jasper exclaimed.

"Alright, tomorrow I'll ask him. Over the next couple of days, let's just relax and enjoy ourselves. I think we'll leave around Tuesday."

"Sounds good to me. Now I don't know about you guys, but I'm hella tired. See you tomorrow," Jasper said with a yawn as he left the garden.

"I'll see you at the house," Nathan said to me before following Jasper's steps.

Elias and I remained silent as we stared at each other. I could still see the worry in his eyes.

"I'm scared," he said finally speaking.

"So am I," I responded. I took his hand in mine and continued staring at him. "But we have each other so that's all that really matters."

-

Saturday, December 15

The next day I arose early in the morning to go for a stroll. I felt the need to explore a bit. Once I made it outside I began my journey. It was around 5am as I began walking. I had to make sure I didn't go too far away so I would know my way back to our packhouse. 

Just as I was about to start walking in the direction that my friends and I went yesterday, I suddenly had this urge to go back to the bridge. I was glad I remembered my way there as I speedily arrived at its entrance. I had forgotten how narrow it was. I began walking making sure to admire the water from below. The morning star peeked through the blanket of water casting a beautiful landscape. I traced the vines intertwined with the bridge's structure as I finally made it to the other side. I took a left knowing that I wanted to go back to the water. 

I entered a thick beautiful green forest as I made my way deeper and deeper into it. I peeked through the bushes being able to still see the water. I wanted to go for a swim.

I carefully pushed myself in between the bushes as I stepped on what seemed like a sandy walkway. The view was beyond beautiful. It somehow resembled a tropical island. I turned around to see the bridge not that far in a distance. I could also see the castle on the other side. 

Just as I was about to dip my feet in I saw a male lying on the sand in front of a tree trunk with his head facing away from me.

"Hey," I said while slowly walking towards him. He didn't move an inch and remained in his exact position.

"Hello?" I walked in front of him before I screamed in terror. His neck had been slit as I staggered away from him feeling nauseous. "Oh my g-god," I stuttered as I covered my mouth.

"What happened?" I heard someone ask from behind me. I turned around fast to see my mate looking at the male in front of me.

He scrunched his face with disgust as he pulled me away from him.

"What are you d-doing here?" I asked him in fear.

"I couldn't sleep. Come on, let's go tell Sebastian," he responded.

-

Soon both Elias and I arrived at the castle to be greeted with yet again a different set of male guards. 

"We need to speak with Sebastian. It's urgent," he told the one standing on the left-hand side.

"Someone has been murdered. Please hurry," I added.

He finally let us in and told us where to find Mateo first.

"Mateo?" Elias called out as he knocked on the door of a room. We instantly heard a bit of shuffling until the door opened revealing a tired Mateo rubbing his eyes.

"Where's Sebastian? Something bad has happened..."

-

"So are you telling me he was just lying on the sand in front of a tree trunk?" Sebastian asked as we all continued walking through the green forest making our way to the sandy walkway near the water.

"Yes, we flipped him over to see that his throat had been slit. It looked like he had been dead for a couple of hours," I exclaimed.

We finally arrived at the sandy area as Elias and I hurried over towards the tree trunk. 

"I cannot believe it," I muttered staring at the view in front of me. The dead male was no longer there. It looked as if we were crazy.

"I swear he was right here..." Elias muttered beside me.

"So... where is he now?" Sebastian asked sounded irritated.

"I don't know but he was literally right here," I exclaimed while staring at the bare sand.

"Why were guys wandering out here this early anyway?" Sebastian asked us. Before we could even respond he opened his mouth to speak again. "I would prefer for you guys to not wander early in the morning. You don't know this place well," he stated.

"Check the surrounding areas for anything unusual," Sebastian commanded the other males he had brought along with us.

"This better not happen again," he warned us before shifting into his wolf and running back into the forest. I briefly noticed the size difference in his wolf compared to my friends' wolves but ignored as it wasn't important.

-

"I don't understand. Was someone messing with us or are we going crazy?" I asked Elias as we stood in front of his packhouse.

"No, I mean I was there when you found him. Something just doesn't add up," he exclaimed while running his hand through his hair.

"Yeah."

"Try getting a bit of rest. I'll see you in a bit," he responded. I watched him disappear before heading over towards my house. There was no way I could sleep after what just happened. I should've just stayed in my bed. Why did I even bother waking up early to go 'exploring'?

As I made my way back to my room my thoughts troubled me. Elias was definitely right. Something just didn't add up. Even though I was beyond curious to find out what exactly had happened, I knew I needed to ask Mateo about Regnum Ignis so the boys and I could be on our way soon.


	31. Chapter 31

"We've got two big rooms just for necessities. Everything you need will be in here," Mateo exclaimed as he showed us the hallway which held the two rooms. "The first one is for women and the second is for men. Nailah will show you guys inside. She should be here soon," he exclaimed.

"I have a feeling she doesn't really like me," I whispered to Mateo.

"Ah, I see. Well, she doesn't really like anyone except for Sebastian." Yeah, I figured.

"Uh, where's Sebastian's mate?" I asked him out of curiosity.

"It's all very complicated. He hasn't found his mate yet," Mateo said. "Look there's Nailah," Mateo exclaimed. "I'll catch you guys later."

"Did he just say Sebastian hasn't found his mate yet?" Neha asked me. "Yeah..." I responded. That was strange. I thought these Alpha's were supposed to know their mate from young or something. That made me even more curious. How old was Sebastian?

"Sorry, girls. I just got a bit distracted," she said while fixing her shirt. A hickey was evident on her neck.

I looked at my friends to see they all had on the exact same facial expression. Confusion.

"Let's take a look inside, shall we?"

We all watched her insert a key into the keyhole before opening the door.

"This is it. Our own little supply room."

It was big. Humongous. It was the size of a school gym but even bigger. I saw towers of towels stacked up against the walls. Closets that held lots of clothing. I saw lots of toilet paper, pads, tampons, toothbrushes, and more.

"Woah..." Indigo exclaimed in awe. I noticed a couple of girls lingering in the room collecting supplies.

"Go ahead. There are baskets in the corner right there, just stock up on stuff you need."

I smiled at Nailah before saying thank you. She gave me a little smile before leaving us all alone.

"This is great!" Neha shouted. The girls disappeared immediately leaving Saphira and me standing there still in awe. "Where do you think they get all this stuff from?" she asked me as we began to walk around after collecting our own baskets.

"Probably from earth," I responded. I noticed a couple of brands that I was familiar with. They probably had a trusted pack on earth that sent them their supplies and stuff.

"Oooh, I definitely need to stock up on condoms," Saphira exclaimed before placing 2 boxes of condoms into her basket. "Do you want one?" she asked me.

"Haha," I nervously laughed as I shook my head. "No thanks."

I walked away from Saphira moving towards the hair accessories. I noticed that a couple of girls were already there. As soon as they saw me, they immediately gave me a dirty look. "Is she the Vampire?" whispered the brunette. "Yeah, I mean she smells like one," responded the chubby one.

"So have you killed anyone before? You know, drained all the blood out of their body until they were completely lifeless? Are you not a blood-sucking monster?" the queen bee out of the five girls asked me as she took a step closer.

"No, I have not. I'm not like that," I responded sternly. I continued admiring the hair accessories trying my best to ignore them.

"So you're not dangerous?" she asked. I turned my head slowly to look at her trying to understand why she was still speaking to me. "No. Why would I be dangerous?"

She laughed before opening her mouth to speak. "I don't know? You tell me."

I rolled my eyes before walking away from the girls. "Don't walk away from me. I'm not done speaking to you," I heard the girl say. As soon as I felt her hand touch my arm, I turned around fast and shoved her away from me. Her friends caught her just in time before she could even hit the ground. "Ugh!" she grunted in shock.

"Do not touch me!" I exclaimed.

"What's going on?" Saphira asked as she and my friends appeared out of nowhere.

"Your friend here is acting like a spoiled brat," she responded while giving me a glare.

"What the did you just call me?" I asked feeling very angry. I felt Saphira hold me back preventing me from getting any closer to her. "What are you deaf? I thought Vampires are supposed to have excellent hearing," she chuckled. "I called you a spoiled brat. You think you're special because you're the only Vampire here, but you're so wrong. I mean for all we know, you're probably the one who murdered that guy this morning. Couldn't control your thirst?"

With speed, I approached her and connected my fist with her jaw.

"OW!" she cried in terror as she fell down. I immediately noticed the blood squirt out of her mouth and onto the floor. I clicked my tongue against my canines as I walked towards the weak girl.

"LEILANI! STOP IT!" I heard my friends yell from behind me. Saphira grabbed onto my arm which caused me to turn around and push her with great force. Her back collided with a shelf that held tissue paper. I watched as she groaned in pain causing her to fall onto the ground and for many of the tissue paper packages to fall too.

Indigo and Violet immediately rushed over towards my best friend as I stood there staring at her. "Leilani... look what you've done," Neha said to me in despair before joining the girls to see if Saphira was alright.

"I was right. She is a blood-sucking monster."

"WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?" Nailah shouted as she opened the doors. I looked to see a crowd of people staring at us from the door. I didn't even think twice. In under 30 seconds, I was out of the castle and onto the bridge. I ran until I reached the sandy walkway and threw myself onto the ground. I immediately started to weep. Tears fell down my face causing my vision to blur.

"This isn't me," I continuously started to say over and over again. This was rage. What had I done? Why couldn't I have completely ignored that girl and just walked away? If I did, I wouldn't be in this situation right now.

I wanted to leave. I wanted to run away from this place. I didn't want to face my friends, Sebastian, or even Elias.

I remained on the ground trying to catch my breath and stop my tears. Why was she trying to piss me off in the first place?

"Leilani," I heard someone call out to me.

"Just leave me alone," I replied while sniffling.

I suddenly felt someone crouch down behind and wrap their arms around me. I instantly shrugged them away and got up to see it was Nathan.

"No! Stop! I could hurt you. I'm a blood-sucking monster," I exclaimed to him still feeling the tears falling down my face.

"No you're not," he told me calmly. He continued walking towards me very slowly. "It's ok. You're ok," he repeated.

I finally gave up and fell into his arms weeping. "Shhh... don't cry," he said softly in my ear.

"I'm too weak. If I can't handle a bit of teasing, how am I going to be strong when we go to the other domains?" I asked him.

"You're not weak. My tiger isn't weak. She's passionate, daring, tough, and fearless," he whispered into my ear.

I laughed hearing those familiar words come out of his mouth. "Thanks, Natty," I responded.

"Look at me," he exclaimed. I removed my head from his chest and stared into his brown eyes. He placed his hand on my face wiping away my silent tears. "You're strong. Don't let them get to your head. They're just jealous of your beauty, your kindness, and your courage. Keep your head held high," he told me.

As I stared into his eyes I realized that I didn't want to share Nathan. I wanted him all to myself. He always knew what to say at the exact right time. He had always been there for me. Through the tough times, it was always him who comforted me. I knew that was selfish but I couldn't help it. I cared about him too damn much. I wondered if our relationship would drastically change once he found his mate.

"Nathan..."

"LEILANI!" I heard someone shout from behind us. I turned around to see Elias appear from out of the woods. He looked at us and then stopped moving.

I immediately let go of Nathan and looked down in embarrassment.

"It's not what you think it is," Nathan told him. "I'm just comforting her."

"That's my job," Elias exclaimed sounding annoyed.

"Alright guys, relax," I told them both.

"Are you ok?" Elias asked as he walked towards us. "What happened?"

"I punched a girl and shoved Saphira. Oh my gosh, Saphira." I had totally forgotten about her. "Is she ok? I need to see her," I exclaimed before rushing past the boys.


	32. Chapter 32

"It's not that bad," Saphira exclaimed. "It's healing quickly."

"I'm so sorry, Saph. I didn't mean to," I exclaimed feeling really bad. "What the hell even happened?" Lucian asked.

"It's over now babe. It's not a big deal," Saphira said.

"What I did was wrong. I am sorry," I said again. I really should have just walked away. "But wasn't that girl bothering you? If you want I'll-"

"No," I said cutting off Nathan. "Just leave it alone," I reassuringly told him. I already punched her. Hopefully, that'll teach her a lesson.

"What did Sebastian talk to you about?" Neha asked me.

"He said it wasn't my fault for punching that girl and that he would talk to her."

"Stuff like that just pisses me off. Like people should just mind their own damn business and run along," Jasper said.

My mind drifted away from the conversation. I started to think of the body Elias and I had found. It was still bothering me. Was someone trying to prank us? Would I ever know what actually happened?

"You ok?" Elias asked me.

"Yeah..." I muttered.

"Alright guys! Today is going to be a fantastic day. My best warriors will be teaching you guys how to fight and defend yourself. In both wolf and human form!" Sebastian exclaimed to the packs. "Please follow me!"

Once we stepped outside of the castle, I took my chance and chased after Mateo.

"Uh, Mateo. Can I talk to you for a second?" I asked him. From the corner of my eye I could see Sebastian looking at us weirdly.

"Yeah sure." He followed me away from the group."Perhaps somewhere a little more private," I whispered to him.

"Oh, ok."

He followed me to the nearest garden ensuring that we were all alone.

"Before I tell you some stuff, please don't freak out. Just bear with me," I exclaimed. He motioned for me to continue talking.

"You see, I'm a bit nosy... so I kinda asked Sebastian about the current situation between the Alphas and-"

"He told you everything. I knew he would," Mateo said cutting me off.

"Oh."

"He likes you." Was it that obvious? "Really? I hadn't noticed... Anyways! So I have a crazy idea, but I kinda need your help..." I said feeling a bit shy.

"How crazy is it?" he asked me with a smirk.

"Um... pretty crazy... I want to unite all the alpha's back together again..."

"You want to do what?" he asked me sounding startled.

"I want to unite the alpha's back together again. I mean I NEED to unite the alpha's back together again."

"And how are you going to do that?" he asked.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure but I was thinking of just talking to each Alpha."

"If you go, you can't go alone," he stated.

"Yeah, the boys are coming with me," I exclaimed feeling confident. I saw doubt in his eyes but chose to ignore it. "So, I'm wondering if you could tell me a bit of information that could help me out."

"Well, first of all. We have to make sure that your friends mind link me if anything ever goes wrong. I'll give them something for that. You also have to be careful. We don't want Sebastian finding out because he'll definitely stop you from going." It was impossible to mind-link someone who wasn't apart of your pack. What was he going to give them?

"So you're going to help me?" I asked getting excited.

"Yes. I've tried telling Sebastian that it would be a good idea to reunite with the other Alphas but he won't have it. I believe your idea could work... eventually," he said whispering the last part.

What did he mean by eventually?

"Uh, so how do we get to the other domains?"

"There's a hidden portal located in every domain. There are 3 selections that you can choose from. For example if you select the fire element, it will lead you to Regnum Ignis."

"Do you know where it's located."

"Yes. It's located near the garden of lilies. I'll make a map for you."

"Ok, thank you."

"I'm not quite sure if the Alpha's will be impressed when they find out you're a Vampire, but you have nothing to worry about. I don't think it should be too big of a issue."

"Yeah, I know." I was a bit worried to be honest. Would they get mad? And if so how mad?

"Be safe and be wise. Your journey should last a week. After that time period is over and you're not back, I might be tempted to force Sebastian into producing a rescue team because I'll assume you are in trouble."

"Right, that makes sense."

"When do you plan on leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

"Alright. I advise you to leave early morning. In fact, once you figure out the time you want to leave, just tell me. I'll give you the map and some other things right before you guys go. I'll also give you your blood supply so don't even worry about that. And whatever you do, don't make stupid decisions. I don't want you guys getting lost."

I had forgotten about the blood situation. Would I have enough that could last me a week or more?

"Ok, thanks a lot Mateo."

"Yeah, no problem. We should probably get back."

I followed Mateo out of the garden and back to where the other packs were gathered. I felt confident and ready. In fact I was excited. Somewhere deep in my heart, I felt that my destiny was set right before me and all I had to do was take that leap of faith.


	33. Chapter 33

Sunday, December 16

"Are you guys ready?" I asked the boys. We all stood outside of Elias and Jasper's pack house getting ready to make our way towards the castle. It was currently 3am in the morning.

"Yup, let's head on over," Jasper exclaimed.

Once we arrived at the castle, I immediately noticed the two guards. I had completely forgotten about them. All of a sudden out stepped a Mateo with a satchel situated over his body. He talked briefly with the guards before making his way over towards us. He then walked with us to the bridge to bid us farewell.

"Um, maybe it was a bad idea to meet in front of the castle. I mean the guards saw us. Aren't they going to tell Sebastian?" I inquired.

"Everyone, including Sebastian, will find out eventually. It doesn't really matter," he responded.

"Oh, ok."

"You guys should probably get going so let me make this fast," he exclaimed before removing the satchel from his body.

"What's in there?" Nathan asked.

"Leilani's blood supply, a sword, your map, and something else. First, here is your blood supply." Mateo pulled out a small shiny silver box.

"B-But, it's so tiny, how can that be my blood supply?"

"It's called Exigua Copia. It's in its miniature size right now, but all you have to do is place it in water, wait for about 20 seconds and it will expand to its regular size. Don't worry about the amount, I made sure that I gave you lots of blood. You won't run out."

He handed me the tiny silver box. I looked at it in awe. "Wow, uh thanks."

"Here's your sword. It also expands too. You may or may not use it, but if you ever do, just squeeze the handle and the blade becomes bigger," he said before giving it to me.

"Here's your map. It's a brief idea of what Regnum Aqua looks like. It will only show you how to get to the portal. Once you enter each domain, you are on your own. Just use your judgement and stick together."

"And last, but not least: Linker Metis. It's quite obvious you're not able to mind link with werewolves. You were human and now you are a Vampire. Nothing has changed. Also Nathan obviously can't mind link Elias or Jasper because he is from a different pack. These earrings will allow you to communicate with them as you would regularly."

"Oh my gosh!" I sighed in awe as he placed them in my hands.

"That is incredible," Jasper exclaimed.

"Thank you so much Mateo!"

"Anytime. Now for you guys, all I have to do is drop this special liquid onto your wrist and once you shift into your wolf, Leilani will be able to hear you 'talk' in her head and you will not only be able to mind link each other, but also have a full blown conversation in your head. It might be a bit weird at first, but you will get used to it. It will wear off the night you get back."

I watched Mateo pull out this small tiny bottle and drop this weird vaporizing liquid onto each of the boy's wrist.

"So you're a witch," Jasper exclaimed.

"No, I am not," he chuckled. "Now you guys better get going. I need to go back and prepare myself for Sebastian's wrath to come later this morning. Be safe and have fun."

After saying our last final goodbyes, the boys and I started to travel across the bridge. The star shone brightly and casted it's reflection onto the water. Once we finally made it back to ground, I turned around to wave at Mateo once last time. I watched him turn around and walk away.

"Alright guys, we are on our own now. Let's go."

"Just give us a second," Jasper exclaimed before walking into the forest.

"Where is he going?"

"We're shifting," Nathan added.

"Right, uh I knew that." They're werewolves Leilani. Duh.

I watched both Nathan and Elias follow Jasper's lead. It was dark and to be honest, I didn't want to be alone.

"Wait!"

They both turned around to look at me. "Uh, do you guys mind if I..."

"Come on. Just close your eyes... only if you want to," Nathan laughed.

Elias slapped Nathan on the back. "I'm just kidding!" he responded while rubbing his back.

I shielded my eyes while Elias directed me into the forest. "Please hurry!" I exclaimed.

Once the shuffling stopped, I slowly removed my hands from my eyes. I then opened the right eye to make sure they were finished shifting. To my surprise Esteavo, Milo, and Gray all stood there staring at me with their huge eyes.

"Hey guys!" That's when I instantly remembered the water earrings.

"Ooh!" I dug through the satchel and took out the earrings. They were simple medium sized blue studs. I took off my tiny studs and placed them into the satchel.

I then put the right earring in and then the left.

"Ok, hello?"

I looked at the boys expecting to hear them start talking up a storm right away, but I got the exact opposite reaction. I didn't hear a single word.

"Uh, I don't think it's working..."

I tried twisting the earrings thinking that I perhaps placed them in my ears the wrong way. Out of nowhere, I heard a boom of laughter.

Nathan- She looks ridiculous.

"Hey!" I yelled at them. "That wasn't funny."

Jasper- Yes it was. Just admit it.

I rolled my eyes in despair. "This is going to be interesting," I exclaimed. "Elias, can you say something? Why are you so quiet?"

Elias- I'm here.

I chuckled before rolling my eyes. "Ok, let's get going. Carry your clothing in your mouths."

Jasper- Are you crazy? It'll be too much load! Let's just leave it here. When we return, we'll take it.

"Fine!" I considered it littering, but I didn't want to waste another 10 minutes arguing over it.

I pulled out the map and unfolded it. It was neatly hand drawn and was easy to read and understand.

"Alright," I sighed. I placed the map on the ground and knelt down as the boys gathered around me.

"So, we just crossed the bridge. By the looks of it, all we need to do is continue traveling straight until we meet the garden of lilies. We just have to avoid getting lost in these forests. That's the tricky part."

J- Well, I'm good with direction, so I'll lead us.

E- That's a bad idea. There's no way we're following you.

J- What? I'm extremely good with direction!

"It's ok Elias. Jasper can lead us."

Estevao trotted to the front and began making his way deeper into the forest.

N- You go next Leilani.

I followed Estevao's lead with Milo and Gray behind me.

Recap: Jasper (Estevao) Nathan (Milo) Elias (Gray)


	34. Chapter 34

E- Do you even know where you're going?

N- Yeah, I feel like we've been walking around in circles.

It was true. It had felt like 15 minutes as we followed Estevao who claimed he knew exactly where he was going.

J- Ok, maybe I don't know where we are going. Leilani?

I sighed trying to think of what we should do next.

"Oh moon goddess. Please show us the way. We can't turn back now. We haven't even started this crazy adventure yet," I mumbled underneath my breath.

J- Does she know we can hear her?

I closed my eyes trying my best to think of what to do. All of sudden I heard quiet howling. I opened my eyes to see Milo jumping up and down.

N- Look, the moon goddess heard your cry!

There were at least 20 fairies. Blue and purple. They angelically surrounded us as we stared up at them.

They began to make quiet noises almost as if they were whispering amongst each other. Suddenly they began flying like a strand of light through the thick trees.

"Let's just follow them," I exclaimed feeling grateful.

Like lost puppies, we followed the fairies. As we followed them I was curious to know if they understood Latin or English. If they had their own language they spoke and if they ever slept. I wanted to hold one in the palm of my hand so I could see it more clearly. They were beautiful and illuminated light wherever they went. They flew gracefully radiating a sense of peace.

E- Is that the garden of lilies?

I broke away from my thoughts to focus in the direction Gray was looking in. We had finally made it out of the forest. A stream of water decorated with lilies grabbed our attention. The size of the lilies were big enough to fit a wolf.

I noticed the fairies flew over the lilies almost as if they were motioning us to go onto the stream. But how?

N- Do they want us to float on these things?

I wasn't sure what I was doing, but something in me told me to take a leap. I jumped onto the nearest lily and landed. It slowly started moving.

"This is neat!" I exclaimed.

"Are you guys coming?" I asked after turning around to observe the boys. They stood there looking at me strangely.

N- Yeah, there is no way.

"Come on Milo. You won't sink. Trust me."

I watched as Gray jumped onto a lily following me. He looked a bit uneasy, but he didn't fall.

"See you'll be fine," I exclaimed trying to soothe Milo's uneasiness.

Estevao followed leaving Nathan's wolf still standing there. In that moment, I decided to go after him. I leaped from lily to lily until I made it back to land. I rubbed my hand onto Milo's furry back trying to comfort him.

"Come on, let's go together."

I watched a bunch of lilies past us trying to find the perfect one for us both leap on.

"Look, when I count to three we're both going to leap onto that lily right there," I exclaimed as I pointed at a big lily floating towards us.

"Ok, one,two,three!"

We both jumped at the exact same time. Milo landed softly, but not me. I almost lost my balance and fell into the water, but luckily I grabbed onto his furry body which helped me regain my balance.

I began to laugh realizing how silly my idea was for both of us to leap onto the same lily. I hugged Milo out of appreciation and almost immediately caught Gray's eyes. I wasn't exactly sure what he was thinking, but I knew I could see jealousy. I could've sworn I heard him whimper as he turned back around.

I let go of Milo slowly and sighed. I hated this. I wasn't even doing it on purpose. Elias couldn't expect me to completely ignore Nathan. He was my best friend and that was that. He was just going to learn how to share, for now.

We continued travelling down the stream. The water glistened. The fish and sea creatures seemed to glow in the dark as they swam underneath us.

J- I have never liked water so much ever since we came here.

"Yeah, it is beautiful," I exclaimed feeling completely mesmerized.

N- Where did the fairies go?

I started looking around to see that they had vanished.

"Their job is finished. Come on. Let's just keep our eyes open as we travel down the stream."

We continued traveling for around 2 minutes on the water until Jasper's voice rang through my head.

J- What's that?

In a distance we could see something that looked like a hidden pathway. The doorway was made out of vines. There were shiny sparkles of light illuminating from the inside of the tunnel.

N- It kind of reminds me of the portal we went through to get here.

"Yup, I think this is it. Come on guys. Let's get off of these lilies."

One by one we all leaped from lily to lily trying to make it back to land. Once we all made it back on land, we started walking towards the doorway.

"Sebastian said that no one has ever traveled to any of the other domains, but why not? I mean if I lived here and Sebastian told me I wasn't allowed to travel to the other domains, I'm pretty sure I would've gone anyways."

E- Yeah, but you're Leilani. The people living here are probably scared to travel to the other domains and disobey Sebastian. And I think it's only this generation that hasn't traveled to others domains. I'm pretty sure the generations before Sebastian's father have.

I knew Elias was right and it made me wonder why. Were they scared of the unknown? Sebastian should just man up and explore for himself. What a wimp!

J- Damn, Eli. I haven't heard you say that many words in like forever.

"Alright, let's not waste anymore time," I said trying to relieve Elias knowing he hated attention.

I began to lead the way as we approached the entrance. I traced my hands over the vines.

"I can feel it."

J- Feel what? What is she talking about?

I could feel something. It was a weird sensation but it was definitely something.

I began to walk into the tunnel leading us to the portal. I began to see golden stones scattered scarcely onto the ground. The exact same stones were scattered in the cave with the portal we used to travel here. I wondered about its importance and if there was anything symbolic behind the meaning of them. Suddenly we saw it.

"There it is," I exclaimed with admiration.

It stood tall right in front of us. I stepped forward noticing the selection of domains situated on the right side.

J- So we are going to Regnum Ignis first? Right?

"Yes, we are."

I pressed the fire icon and suddenly the portal whirred to life.

"You guys go first."

I watched Estevao place a paw into the portal and then his other one. After he disappeared, Milo then followed.

It was just me and Gray left. I motioned for him to go first.

E- No, I'll go last. I want to make sure you go in safely, just in case.

My heart started beating really fast hearing Elias' words in my head. I smiled with gratitude admiring how much he wanted to protect me. "Thanks."

I stepped in with anticipation and nervousness, not knowing we would soon learn the most unexpected piece of information that would change everything.


	35. Chapter 35

"Oh my gosh..."

The sight in front of us was beyond unbelievable. The air felt like a thick warm blanket making me realize that it was significantly warmer than Regnum Aqua. We could see the castle off in a distance. There were also volcanoes erupting with lava pouring out of them which formed into rivers of fire flowing from both the left and right disappearing in between high mountains of rock. These rivers of fire looked extremely hot which made my stomach churn with nervousness. How dangerous was this place?

N- Damn it's so hot.

I could've stood there for hours staring at the sight in front of me, but I knew we needed to get moving. "Come on guys, we need to get to the castle."

I started to walk not knowing where exactly we were going. "Uh, I guess we'll just follow this rocky pathway," I exclaimed.

As I started walking I felt more anxious than ever. With the boys following behind I continued walking until something caused me to freeze.

E- What's wrong? Why did you stop?

My heart dropped in fear as I saw around ten wolves staring at us in a distance. Their piercing eyes gripped me with fear as they began to run towards us. "Oh no..."

I started walking backwards almost trampling on Milo.

N- There's no turning back now. Just stay put. They shouldn't harm us.

As the wolves got closer, I realized that these wolves were huge in size. They were probably the same size as the wolves in Regnum Aqua, but the environment we were in definitely made them look scary and bigger.

As soon as they got to us, they started to howl. One of them immediately shifted causing him to be fully naked. I quickly closed my eyes and looked away. Are you serious?

"Who are you? And what are you guys doing here?" a voice asked. I thought he would sound angry, but not at all. He just sounded curious.

I suddenly felt someone remove my hands from my eyes. I opened them in shock and stared at the man in front of me. "You can look now."

I noticed he was now wearing black shorts. How did he... He suddenly reached out to touch my hair.

E- Who the hell does this guy think he is?

He stood very close to me as he checked me out from head to toe. He then inhaled deeply with his eyes closed. Did I smell like a Vampire? "You are a vampire," he stated.

Apparently I did. I nodded my head slowly not knowing how he would respond. "We hate Vampires. Why are you here in Latum Alterum?" he asked.

"Uhm, my p-parents... uh we..." I stammered feeling my heart thump violently against my rib cage.

"Don't bother telling me. You will tell him," he said before turning around to look at the direction where the castle stood.

"T-The Alpha?"

"Indeed. Follow me."

I watched the man and the wolves turned around and walk away. I stood there feeling weird. He didn't seem angry, but rather curious and confused. I mean, I guess that was a good sign.

J- What a creep!

"Relax guys, he didn't do anything!" I exclaimed.

"Are you coming or what?" the man called out in a distance. With speed we approached him and began to follow the man and the nine wolves as they led us towards the castle. As we followed them, I couldn't help but notice that there were other wolves standing on rocks staring at us. The majority of them growled at us while others just stared.

We suddenly approached a bridge. Did every domain have a bridge? As we started to walk, I looked over it trying to figure out what was underneath. Suddenly, liquids of lava starting squirting out of the bedded rock beneath us. Was this whole place made out of fire?

It was quite a sight watching the thick orange liquid spray up and then to splatter onto the rocks. Once we made it back on land, we continued following the man until we took a slight turn.

Another bridge appeared before us. Once we had finally crossed it, I sighed in awe. There it was. It stood nice and tall and had many windows gleaming with light. I looked up to see a star that resembled the moon. It was such a beautiful sight.

We suddenly approached what seemed like the official entrance. The tall doors opened and out stepped a man with brown hair. He seemed older than Sebastian and perhaps even around my dad's age. "Well, well. What do we have here?" he asked mischievously. I suddenly started to hear whimpering. I turned to my right to see Gray walking backwards slowly.

E- Oh my god.

He suddenly turned around and started to run away. Where was he going?

"Uh... one second..."

I quickly ran past the crowd of wolves who stood behind us and followed Gray. What was up with him and why was he acting weirdly?

I finally caught up with him as he hid behind a tall rock. Elias suddenly shifted into his regular form and fell onto the ground butt naked. No later than five seconds, he was back in his wolf form. He continued shifting back and forth which made me panic. It was almost as if he was glitching.

"Elias! What's happening with you?!!" I could care less that he was naked. I was extremely worried and confused. I had never seen anything like this before.

He finally shifted one last time into his regular form. I stared at him as he was curled up into a ball. He was shaking heavily as he tried his best to stand up.

"Elias..." I asked as I approached him feeling nervous. "What just happened? Are you ok?

"I-Impossible..." he whispered with a shaking voice.

"Elias! You have to help me out! What's going on?!!!"

"M-My uncle... T-That's my u-uncle..."


	36. Chapter 36

Was Elias ok? That couldn't be his uncle.

"W-what? That can't be. You told me he-"

"I know what I said. It's quite clear I was lied to. I cannot believe it!" he exclaimed with frustration as he ran his hands through his hair. He remained crouched down on the ground as I stood there not knowing what to say.

The man who took us to the castle appeared before us with Jasper and Nathan. They both wore black shorts and stared at us weirdly.

"What just happened? Why did you run away?" Jasper asked his best friend. The man threw a pair of shorts at Elias. "Once you're done doing whatever you're doing, the Alpha would like to speak with you," he said staring directly at him. Elias gave him a dirty look as he left my friends and I all alone. Elias finally got up from his crouching position to slip on his shorts. I briefly looked at his bare chest for a couple of seconds before looking away feeling my cheeks heat up. My face was literally on fire. Thank the moon goddess that my melanin hid any sign of redness in my cheeks.

"You're literally sweating, are you good?" Nathan asked Elias.

"NO! I AM NOT GOOD!" he shouted.

I took a step back realizing that Elias was very angry.

"Clearly. You have the weirdest mood swings," I heard Nathan mutter underneath his breath. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Suddenly Elias started walking fast towards Nathan. I quickly jumped in between them and pushed my hand against Elias' chest.

"Relax..." I told my mate calmly. I could feel him taking deep breaths before he turned around and walked back to his previous position.

"Elias?" Jasper exclaimed as he walked past me to him. "You're mate is the biggest asshole," Nathan exclaimed.

"I know..." I responded. "If he ever lays a hand on you out of rage, I will murder him!"

"I'm sure he won't, but thank you."

"What even happened? Why is he acting like a weirdo?"

"Um, it's not really my place to say. I think it's best you go. We'll meet you back at the castle in a bit."

"Are you kidding me? I deserve to know whatever the hell is going on? I'm not leaving!"

"Nathan!" I exclaimed. "Please," I begged him while taking a hold of his hand. "For me. Just go..." I added softly. I looked at him in the eyes to see confusion and sadness.

"Just for you Tiger. Just for you."

He sighed as he let go of my hand and turned around to walk away. I felt bad, but I knew I couldn't just tell Nathan about Elias' uncle. I would let Elias tell him.

I then turned around and walked towards Elias and Jasper.

"How the hell is that even possible? Your mother told you he was dead!" Jasper exclaimed. So he did know about Elias' uncle.

"I DON'T KNOW! WHY WOULD SHE LIE TO ME?" Elias shouted.

I didn't understand how Jasper acted so calmly whenever Elias yelled at him. I guess he was used to it.

"I don't know what to say bro," Jasper said before patting Elias' back. "I'll leave you two alone." I watched Jasper walk up to me slowly. "Just try and calm him down," he whispered before walking away.

I stood there staring at my mate as he paced back and forth. "Um, are you sure that's your uncle? Maybe you're mistaken-"

"I KNOW THAT'S MY DAMN UNCLE! I HAVE SEEN PICTURES OF HIM! I AM NOT GOING CRAZY!!!"

"Can you stop yelling? I am right here!" I responded raising my voice. "Nothing is wrong with being angry, but control yourself!"

I understood he was furious and confused, but yelling at me wasn't going to solve anything. He needed to calm down.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. "I'm just so angry right now. What else did my mother lie to me about? Did my uncle even have a human mate? Did she even die? I grew up being scared of finding my mate thanks to my uncle or whatever this whole lie is."

"Elias..."

"Leilani, I can't face him," he sighed while walking towards me slowly. "I don't know what to think anymore. I mean how is he here?" My heart fluttered hearing his lips utter my name. He very rarely said it, but when he did, it did things to my heart.

"Let's just take things one step at a time. You should go and speak with him."

He nodded before reaching out to touch my hand. It immediately felt numb feeling his fingers touch mine for a brief moment. With the same hand he then removed my hair away from my face before leaning forward to bring his lips towards my ear. "Thanks for being the best mate ever."

He walked past me leaving me standing there dumbfounded. His husky scent still lingered as I rethought his words over and over again. This sensation that filled my body made me shiver. Was he supposed to have this effect on me? He barely even touched me!

I shook away my thoughts and rushed after him trying my best to ignore how weak I felt.


	37. Chapter 37

"You look just like her," the Alpha said while staring at Elias.

"H-How is this even possible?" Elias asked sounding concerned.

Elias' uncle sighed before telling his men to leave the room. We were currently in the throne room; Elias, Jasper, Nathan, and I.

"We'll leave you alone too," I exclaimed before walking away following Jasper and Nathan out of the room.

Suddenly I felt someone latch on my arm. "Can you stay?" Elias asked with a soft low voice.

His eyes. He looked extremely vulnerable and scared. "Sure." I placed my hand in his. He looked down at the contact and briefly smiled before tightening his grip.

We waited until it was only 3 of us left.

"A vampire in Latum Alterum? Interesting..."

"I'll explain everything after, just talk to him," I exclaimed to the Alpha.

"Elias, she named you Elias right?" he asked him.

"Yes."

"She loved that name. Ever since she was 13. You are a splitting image of Natalia." His mother's name was Natalia? That was such a beautiful name.

"I thought you were dead! You are supposed to be dead!!" Elias exclaimed with a loud voice.

"So that's what she told them? That I had died."

"That you committed suicide."

"How tragic. Well nope, I didn't commit suicide. Not physically anyway."

"Tell me the truth! I want to know everything!"

Elias' uncle chuckled. "Where do I even start?"

"From the beginning, obviously," Elias responded before rolling his eyes.

"Relax..." I whispered to him.

"Well, I'm Roman. It's nice to meet you, Elias," he said. "Anyways, I met Lenita at the age of 19. I was a sophomore at Uni and she was a freshman. Your mother and her were best friends actually."

"Glad to know my mother keeps a lot of things from me."

"It's not her fault. She's only trying to protect you."

Elias rolled his eyes before whispering profanities under his breath.

"Settle down," I whispered to him before squeezing his hand.

" I told her all about us, once we started dating. Your mother thought it was a terrible idea, but I didn't want to keep any secrets from her so I told her. She was very fascinated and happy to know the truth. Our pack took very good care of her. Anyways, so it was the night or her disappearance. A week before my 21st birthday. We had been together for almost 2 years. I decided to go out drinking with my friends to celebrate. Two hours in I get a phone call. They told me she was gone. We spent all night searching for her. We couldn't find her. I couldn't sleep that night. We searched for 2 weeks and still couldn't find her. Her parents were completely devastated. Her brother threatened that if we didn't find her, he would murder me. That was the roughest two weeks of my life."

"Where was my mother this whole time? Was she not at the pack house that night?"

"Nope, she was on a date with your father. I remember calling her asking if she knew where Lenita was. She said she didn't and was pretty fearful when I told her she was missing."

I watched Roman take a deep breath before he continued.

"That Saturday morning when they found her body? A day I will never forget. One of the hunters was friends with my father. I arrived immediately at the scene not knowing what to expect. The smell was putrid. H-Her body was beaten and bruised.I just remember throwing myself onto the ground as I began to weep. For three years, I was mocked, laughed at, and ridiculed. To be honest I'm surprised I lasted that long. I wasn't the Alpha then but I was next in line. I told my father I didn't want to become the next Alpha. He understood and allowed it."

"Geez," I exclaimed lowly.

"The 3 year anniversary of her death came and I couldn't take it anymore. The only friend I had left was your mother. I told her I had to leave. She begged me to stay. She was extremely worried for my well being and I appreciated her for that but deep in my heart, I knew I had to get away. She then suggested I go to Latum Alterum. That way she'll know that I'm safe. So a week later I left. She told me she would think of something to tell our pack. It was just her and your father that knew. Now you know."

"Did they welcome you here?" Elias asked.

"At first no. I picked a random domain and chose this one. The alpha then was not happy with me just showing up unexpectedly but I told him everything. The domain took a vote and decided that I could stay. He unfortunately passed away several years ago... it has been almost 25 years since I left earth. That is the entire story."

Damn. 25 years was a long time.

"But tell me, do they ever talk about me. The pack members and your parents?"

"They try not to bring it up around us teenagers, but every year on March 19th my mother always cries."

I watched Roman look down in deep thought. "Well, when you go back, tell Natalia that I'm ok and that I miss her."

Elias nodded his head in response.

"Anyways, is this your girlfriend?" Roman asked him while looking at me.

"Uh..." Elias responded before blushing.

"I'm his mate," I butted in.

"His mate? But you're a vampire, how is that possible?"

"Well I was a human, but a vampire turned me so I am a vampire now."

"That is incredible. If you don't mind I would love to study you one day," he said. It was at that moment I felt Elias tighten his grip on my hand. "Don't worry all good intentions," he said with a nervous chuckle.

Suddenly the door opened. In stepped a beautiful girl, probably around my age. "Uh, sorry to interrupt..."

"No, it's ok. Isidora, come and meet your cousin!"


	38. Chapter 38

"COUSIN?!" Elias and I both asked at the exact same time. I watched as she got closer. She was absolutely stunning.

"Which one?" she giggled while staring at the both of us. "You are extremely pretty by the way! You have amazing features!" she complimented me.

"Aw, thank you. You have pretty eyes," I complimented back. "Thanks! I'm Isidora by the way." she giggled before giving me a hug. "I'm Leilani!"

"Ooh, your name is so beautiful!"

"Thanks," I responded with a smile. I had just met her and I already loved her.

"Elias, meet my daughter Isidora, Isidora meet my sister's son Elias."

"Hi cuz! It's cool to know that I have a cousin back on earth!"

"Hey. You actually have two. I have a younger brother."

"May I ask how old?"

"Miles is four." I figured that kid was his younger brother. I would love to meet Miles one day. I adored children.

"Ooohh! Cute!" she squealed. This girl was hilariously adorable.

"Um, would you be kind enough to show them where they will be staying? I've got a couple of things to do," Roman said with a smile.

I was surprised Roman didn't ask us what we were doing here. I guess we'll tell him tomorrow.

"Can you do me a favour? Show them their rooms. I've got some important stuff to do."

"Absolutely! Follow me!"

We followed Isidora out of the throne room to be greeted by Nathan and Jasper. "Hi, I am Isidora!" she exclaimed to the both of them.

"I'm Jasper."

"I'm Nathan."

"Nice to meet you! Follow me, guys!"

She began to walk briskly through the castle before ascending up a long spiraling staircase.

"She's your cousin?" I heard Jasper whisper to Elias.

"She's your cousin?" Nathan asked echoing Jasper's words. "It's kind of hard to soak in all this information at once."

I guess Jasper told him everything.

"She's the exact opposite of you," Jasper exclaimed with a chuckle.

"Yes, she definitely is," I added.

"Alright! Jasper, you can have this room," she said while pointing to the first room in the hallway. "Nathan can have this room! And Leilani and Elias can have one of the Master Bedroom's all the way at the end of the hallway!"

I looked at Elias to see that his eyes had widened. Both Jasper and Nathan chuckled before earning a glare from him.

"It's quite early, so you guys should probably get some sleep! There will be breakfast in the morning!"

I watched Nathan and Jasper walk into their rooms leaving Isidora, Elias, and me still standing there.

"I heard you're a vampire, which is amazing! Do you have blood?"

"Yes, I do. Thanks," I exclaimed while holding up the strap of my bag.

"Perfect, well I'll see you guys later!" We both watched her disappear down the stairs before we both began to walk down the hallway.

"Um, it's ok if you don't want to share a room together..." Elias said sounding flustered.

"No, I don't mind. Unless you don't..."

"No, uh it's fine." I nodded my head before retreating into our room.

"Oh, my Moon Goddess!" I sighed in awe as we both took in the view. Our humongous king sized bed captured my attention immediately. Elias retreated over and immediately fell onto it. I continued exploring our room checking out our closets, and our bathroom. It was amazing.

After finally touring the entire room, I walked back to our bed and sat on it next to Elias.

"So, how are you doing?" I asked him.

He took a deep sigh before he began to talk. "I'm not sure. This is a lot to take in. I still can't believe any of this. That my uncle is still alive and lives in Latum Alterum and that I have a cousin. I wonder who her mother is..."

That made me wonder too. Did Roman have a second mate?

"Yeah, this is all really hard to grasp."

"But something still doesn't feel right. I can sense it," he responded. "What do you mean?" I asked him feeling confused.

"Well, it just seems too good to be true. It's extremely quiet."

I understood exactly what he was saying. There was no "war" or "evil". It was very peaceful.

"Well, we haven't exactly traveled to all of the domains yet, so we'll just have to wait and see. You should get some rest," I exclaimed to him.

"Yeah you too," he responded. "Um, you can take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch," Elias suggested after getting up from the bed.

"No. You are not sleeping on the couch. No, you are not sleeping on the floor. We are both sleeping in this bed," I stated. "Look how big it is. There's lots of space for both of us."

After changing into a random white nightgown that I found in one of our closets, I joined Elias in our bed. He looked at me as I slipped into the sheets. I turned over to flick off the light before positioning myself away from Elias.

"Night," I heard him say very softly before hearing him turn around to face away from me.

"Night," I responded back. He seemed awfully shy for some odd reason which made me smile. It was funny seeing him act like this. Like he's never been in the same bed with a girl. That made me wonder... was Elias a virgin?

-

After ensuring Elias was asleep, I got up and stood in front of one of the windows and peered out to observe the beautiful star that resembled the moon.

At around 5:30am in the morning, Elias woke up panting.

"No! Leilani you can't die! You can't leave me! No!!! Please! You can't die!"

I rushed over towards his side in a heartbeat and crept onto our bed.

"Elias! I am right here," I whispered into his ear. He was twisting and turning while mumbling the word 'No' over and over again. Once he had finally woke up, he sat up and looked around the room until he locked eyes with me. He sighed before reaching over towards me and pulling me into a hug.

"Don't ever leave me... Don't ever die..."

"Shhh..." I whispered while placing my hands around his back. "I am right here. I am not leaving and I will not die."

After he finally calmed down he released his hold of me. That was when I decided to ask him my burning questions.

"How long have you had these nightmares?"

He sighed before closing his eyes. "Since the day I accepted you as my mate." Poor Elias. I couldn't imagine how difficult it must've been to accept me as his mate.

"How frequently do you get them?"

"Almost every night."

Damn. I felt bad. He was being tormented by demons because of what had happened to his uncle. "I'm so sorry Elias..."

"It is what is."

"I wish there was something I could do."

"Actually there is."

I studied his face carefully. "What is it? I'll do it."

"Sleep with me."

I swallowed slowly hearing him say those three words.

"I'm s-sorry w-what?" I stuttered.

"Not like that, I mean can you lie with me? Can I hold you?"

I nodded my head slowly before slipping underneath the blankets. We were currently facing each other. I stared into his cloudy gray eyes feeling pitiful. "Should I t-turn around?" I asked with a shaky voice. I was nervous. We were so close to each other. All he was wearing were a pair of shorts and the only thing covering me was a thin white nightgown.

"Hmmm," he hummed in response.

I slowly turned around facing away from him. I sighed not knowing what else to do. Should I inch closer to him? Would he inch closer to me?

I suddenly felt his arm wrap around my petit waist as he pulled my small body into his. My heart started to beat uncontrollably fast. His scent was overbearing as I tried my best to steady my breathing. Even though his arm was warm, I felt oddly chilly feeling his fingers grip my waist and glide against the thin fabric covering my skin as his hot breath fanned against my neck. It was hot. I felt hot and nervous. This was the closest we had ever been. I felt rather exposed as my leg briefly touched his.

"Goodnight... Flos meus caelesti," he whispered into my ear. I knew right away it was Latin but I wasn't exactly sure what it meant. I closed my eyes and sighed hoping that this was the cure to his nightmares. Because if it was, I would let him hold me every single night for the rest of our lives if that was all it took.

"Goodnight Elias."


	39. Chapter 39

Tuesday, December 18

I opened my eyes to be greeted with a bit of light pouring from outside and into our windows. I then sat up to see that I had been sleeping on Elias. I watched as his chest gently moved up and down making me smile. I guess it did work. And I'm glad it did. I then got up to go brush my teeth and have a shower.

After I was done showering, I wrapped a white towel around me and stepped outside of the bathroom.

Elias sat up in bed rubbing his eyes. His upper torso was exposed which made me stare at him. Once he had noticed me, his eyes immediately met with mine before traveling down very slowly.

I felt self-conscious as my mate checked me out from head to toe. "Like what you see?" I asked him. His eyes widened as he looked back up at my eyes.

"N-no! I mean y-yes! Uh..."

I began to laugh at how flustered he was at that moment. I could've sworn I even saw a tint of pink in his cheeks. "It's not funny," he said.

"Oh but it is. You're so cute," I responded with a smile. "Anyways, how did you sleep?"

"Good. Uh, thanks for sleeping with me. I mean not like that! But you k-know.."

"I know what you mean Elias. And if it helps you sleep when you hold me, then you can hold onto me forever."

He eyes stayed glued to mine as I said those words. What was I? A poet? I internally slapped myself for sounding so sappy.

"Ok... I'm j-just going to go shower now..."

-

I slipped on a tank top and a pair of black shorts before putting my hair up in a bun.

Elias suddenly stepped out of the bathroom with a white towel hanging low on his waist.

"Woah..." I sighed as ogled him from head to toe.

"Take a picture it'll last longer."

I just knew his arrogant self was going to say that. "I mean I would, but I don't have my phone," I responded. He chuckled in response which startled me.

"Did you just laugh?" I asked him as he walked over towards our closet.

"Nope."

I rolled my eyes as I sat on the bed. Suddenly Elias dropped his towel which made me squeal and cover my eyes.

"NOT EVEN A WARNING?!" I exclaimed.

"Sorry," he muttered.

Once the shuffling stopped, I removed my hands from my face and slowly opened my eyes.

He sat in front of the mirror brushing his hair. This guy didn't even tell me he was done changing The nerve!

"Can I brush your hair?" I asked him as I got up to walk over to him.

"Sure."

I took the brush from his hand and began to brush his hair. It was wet from his shower and it smelled fantastic. "Have you ever thought of cutting your hair?" I asked him.

"Nope. I don't think I ever will," he responded.

"Good, I like your long hair. You can trim it, but don't ever cut it."

"Ok," he said.

After brushing his hair, we were both ready to head downstairs.

"Uh, Elias?"

"Hmm?"

"What did it mean? What you said last night in Latin." I watched as he opened his mouth to respond, but then immediately close it.

"What was it?"

"I'll tell you another day. Bring your blood box, let's go downstairs."

-

"Good morning love birds," Jasper excitedly said as we both joined the long breakfast table. Roman sat at the head of the table with Isidora at his side. I looked at Nathan to see him roll his eyes.

"Morning," I responded. I took a seat next to Nathan and Elias took a seat next to me. "How was your night?" Isidora asked us.

"Good, thanks," I said. I placed my hand over Elias' under the table and squeezed it. He squeezed it back which made my heart leap. As I began to remove my hand from his, he stopped me from doing so and held onto it tighter. I turned to look at him as he stared at me. I smiled before turning to talk to Nathan.

"How was your night?" I asked.

"Good. I slept like a baby. I was so damn tired," he responded.

"You?" I asked Jasper.

"Great."

Suddenly the doors opened and people carrying trays of food walked in.

"Alright, guys. Breakfast is served!" Roman exclaimed.

Nathan and Jasper immediately piled food onto their plate as soon as the trays were set onto the table. Bacon, eggs, sausage, ham, waffles, pancakes, hash browns, french toast, and fruits were being served. "I am starving!" Jasper said before stuffing bacon into his mouth.

Everyone started eating leaving me there staring into space.

"Leilani, are you going to drink your blood?" Roman asked.

"Uh, I can drink later. It's ok..."

"Nonsense, drink up. You must be thirsty."

It was true I was pretty thirsty. "Um, where's your kitchen?" I asked.

"Ah, it's near the hall of Alphas. Do you need something?" Isidora asked.

"Well, I have this box with my blood supply in it. It's actually very tiny," I replied while picking it up from the table. "All I have to do is place it in water for twenty seconds and then it expands."

"That is epic! Here I'll show you to the kitchen," she said before getting up. I took my tiny box and followed Isidora out of the room.

"It's down this hallway right here," she said as we walked past the hall of Alphas. She pushed through the double doors and we both stepped in. It was huge. "We have 2 kitchens in this castle. This is our main one," she said as we walked over towards the sinks.

There were several people in the kitchen still preparing food. It smelled amazing. "Here's a bowl. Do your thing!"

"Thanks." I filled the bowl with water and placed my tiny box in it. After I placed it on the floor just in case it grew really big in size. After waiting for about twenty seconds, the box grew greatly in size. I pressed the top of the box as it opened to reveal many packets of blood. There was enough to last me for two weeks.

"That is so cool!" Isidora exclaimed.

"Yeah, it really is." I bent down to pick up 2 packets of blood before closing the box.

"You are more than welcome to leave it here in the kitchen. The kitchen doors are usually locked but I'll get you a key. Don't worry!"

"Aw, thank you!"

"No problem. We should probably head back now. You can place your box in the pantry over there," she suggested.

After doing so, we exited the kitchen and began to walk back to the room.

"Um, Leilani. There's something I need to tell you and your friends today. It will be hard to grasp, but it is very important."

Was it something bad? My stomach churned hearing her say those words.

"I'll tell you guys later, let's just get this breakfast done and over with."


	40. Chapter 40

That evening Roman decided he wanted to study me. Elias kept insisting he wanted to come too, but I told him it was fine. There was nothing he needed to worry about. I was anxious to hear what Isidora had to say to us, but she told me she would tell us tomorrow instead.

After dinner, I followed Roman underground. We were greeted by a hallway with a visible door on one side and complete darkness on the other.

Roman opened the door to reveal the room. It looked like a library. There were many many books stacked everywhere. There were pictures of people and drawings of the stars and the moon. "Woah," I exclaimed.

"I enjoy reading and learning new things, so I usually tend to hide out down here. Pretty cool right?"

"Yeah," I exclaimed while walking around the room still admiring it.

"Anyways what brought you guys here? Why are you here in Regnum Ignis?"

"Well, Sebastian kind of told me about the fallout between the previous Alphas. Sebastian is the current alpha of Regnum Aqua."

"Othorion's boy eh?"

"Yeah, I think so. Anyways this has nothing to do with the deeds or anything, it's just when Sebastian told me that none of you Alpha's are speaking to each other, I felt disappointed. What happened to your previous Alpha is extremely sad, but cutting off all communications? Now that's also pretty sad. I mean didn't the moon goddess create this place so you guys can be free, but also work together?"

Roman chuckled in response. "You know so much, but so little. It's easier said than done," he exclaimed.

"Care to elaborate?"

"Do you really believe in all this Moon Goddess crap?" he asked me.

"Well... I would like to think she's real, but to be honest, I'm not quite sure."

"We only know so much about this place. And there are some of us who want to know more and there are others who don't. Our previous Alpha took that leap of faith and slipped on that ring, but he was unlucky. The others were cowards and thought he was just trying to rule over them when in reality he was only trying to see how he could use its power for our advantage. Not his, but Latum Alterum's.

"Yeah, but doesn't the book say it's designed for a specific person and that if the wrong person wears it, their heart will turn to greed? He should've acknowledged whatever he felt when he slipped it on and should've never worn it again. That's what caused this whole thing."

"It's his courage that I admired. He was an excellent Alpha. He enjoyed reading just like me which is why I looked up to him so much. He never wanted to hurt anyone, he only wanted to see what the ring could do."

What Roman was saying wasn't making any sense. The books literally say what the ring does! Was he telling me that his previous Alpha really thought he was the 'chosen' one?

"But, do you really think not speaking to each other is the right thing to do?"

Roman sighed before placing his hand over his face. "Maybe keeping our distances can prevent what happened before from happening ever again."

I couldn't seem to understand the logic behind what he was saying, but I chose to stop arguing with him. "You said you wanted to study me?" I asked him finally.

"Yes! Please have a seat right here," he exclaimed while pointing at a tall chair situated near the round table in the middle of the room.

"So how on earth did you get bitten by a Vampire?"

"It's a long story actually, but I guess I can tell it."

I told Roman what happened to me. I told him about my house arrest, and the unexpected news of us going to The Other Side. I also told him about the dead body we found a couple of days ago.

"And then when you guys came back his body was gone?" he asked sounding confused.

"Yes! It was like someone was messing with us. I don't understand what happened. It's kind of sickening to think about it."

"Alright, then don't think about it. Let me ask you? Who are your parents?"

"Um, Athena and Zander. The Alpha and Luna of the SilverCreek pack."

"Ahh, I see. But they're not your biological parents? Who are your real parents?"

"They found me on their doorstep. I have no idea who my real parents are."

"And you say you were human before, but how are you certain?"

What was with all these questions? "Um, I am pretty certain I was human before," I exclaimed with a little bit of annoyance. 

"And you were born with these features?" he asked while motioning to my eyes and hair.

"Yes..."

"Interesting..." he responded before disappearing behind a bookcase.

What was he up to?

"Because it's very unique. Your features I mean. You do not look like a human," he said from behind them.

"Yeah, I get that a lot. Many people think I am wearing a wig, and that I am wearing contacts."

"You resemble an elf," he abruptly stated.

"E-excuse me?"

"You remind me of an elf."

"Elves are real?" I asked.

"I am certain they are out there somewhere. Do you really believe it's only Werewolves, Vampires, and Fairies that exist?

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it."

"Anyways, I have some reading up to do, you can go. It was nice talking to you," he exclaimed before walking away to another bookcase.

"Oh, um ok. Goodnight."

I got up from my chair and exited the room. As I was just about to walk up the stairs, I suddenly heard a cough from the other side of the hallway. I was certain it wasn't from Roman because it sounded quite feminine. Was there somebody else down here?

"You ok?" Roman asked me out of the blue. I turned to look at him and nodded my head. I felt a cold shiver down my spine as I turned back around to look into the darkness again. "Yeah, I thought I... uh, I'm just going to go."

I ascended up the stairs quickly and rushed away to join the others.


	41. Chapter 41

Wednesday, December 19

"Ok, here it goes. There's something you need to know about my father," Isidora stated to us. It was currently the next day. Isidora brought us outside and took us for a walk. Far away from the castle.

"What about him?" Elias asked immediately.

"He's not who you think he is..."

"I knew it," I heard Elias mutter underneath his breath.

"He's only pretending. You must be careful," Isidora said.

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean," I responded. What was so bad about her father? I mean yes, he was kind of strange, but wasn't everybody?

"Everyone living in this domain is scared of him. Including me."

"That bastard! What did he do?!" Elias asked furiously.

"Promise to not freak out too much. Please," she pleaded.

"We're already freaked out, just tell us already," Jasper exclaimed.

"My father has very bad intentions...he wants to retrieve back the ring."

He wanted the ring? For what reason?

"But, didn't he witness how dangerous it was when placed in the wrong hands? Why would he want to go anywhere near it?" Nathan inquired.

"He believes our previous Alpha was stupid and ignorant. He died because he was foolish and didn't handle the ring properly. He claims that Latum Alterum needs to have a leader; an empire ruled by an emperor."

"Ok. This is a lot to take in. Is he threatening everybody?" I asked.

Isidora nodded her head. "We suggested that he should meet up with the other Alphas but he refuses. He says that if we go anywhere near the portal, we will be killed."

"Oh my gosh. That's terrible," I exclaimed. "Wait, do you guys have any visiting packs? I've been meaning to ask you about that."

"My father thinks sending packs from earth here is a waste of time. He doesn't find it necessary so we don't do it."

"What type of madness is this?" Jasper asked.

"My father has no clue where the ring is. Nobody does. But I think he's up to something. If he finds it, we're all doomed. Not just our domain, but all of Latum Alterum. He's very intelligent, so I am sure he has plenty of tricks up his sleeve," Isidora said.

"Yeah, he reads a lot," I stated.

"What did he say to you? What were you guys talking about yesterday?"

"Well, I told him how I became a vampire. Everything was fine at first, but then he started saying weird stuff."

"Like what?" Elias asked.

"He asked about my parents. My biological parents. He also said I resembled an elf..."

"A w-what?" Nathan asked sounding shocked.

"An Elf. My father reads up on stuff and claims Elves exist. Apparently, their world is very powerful and he would love to go there someday. He's kind of crazy."

"That would be cool if they actually existed," Jasper said.

"One more thing. I think he's formed an alliance with someone. Someone who doesn't live in our domain."

"Like someone in another domain? Or a human back on earth?" Nathan asked.

"Possibly. Just be very careful. Don't trust anyone."

"And how do we know we can trust you?" Elias asked.

"Elias!" He couldn't just say that! Isidora was his cousin.

Isidora sighed. "You can trust me. I only want what's best for everyone. Sadly my father doesn't."

Elias gave her a weird look before turning to look at me. "I think she's telling the truth. We can trust her," I responded.

"Oh, and there's one more thing you should know about the ring. When the previous Alphas got rid of it, they also got rid of our powers."

"Powers?!!" Jasper asked. "You guys have powers?"

"Yes. Our powers are trapped in the ring. Each werewolf living in their domain have the power to create small amounts of their element. For instance, I can produce fire with my hands."

"That is so cool," I sighed in awe.

"And each Alpha can create both small and large amounts of their element. So my father is able to create tornados and even rivers of fire from thin air. Once the ring is worn, all powers will be released. This is good because we'll have our powers to defend him, but also bad because he will become 10x stronger than a regular Alpha."

"Wait, but isn't every Alpha born into their position? How does your father have powers?"

"He went through the ceremonial process. It's very complicated, but he basically slept for a couple of days while the process was happening," Isidora said.

"Ok, I don't know about you guys, but I want to get out of here. Your father is Hades himself. I don't want to be anywhere near him," Jasper exclaimed.

"Same," Nathan added.

"Yes, you guys should leave. I suggest you go early tomorrow morning. Warn the other domains about him. Tell them now is the time to join forces because Latum Alterum depends on it."

"What about you? Do you want to come with us?" I asked her. "No, I need to stay. Make sure the others are safe and try and tolerate my father's madness."

"Are you sure? You are more than welcome to join us."

"It's ok Leilani. I'll be ok. Just please warn the others and stay away from our domain. I think he's going to act very soon. He's been planning this whole thing for years now. He's just waiting for the perfect time."

I nodded my head in response. "Thank you so much Isidora. I know it must be hard to see your father act this way." She briefly smiled at me before looking down in sorrow.

"Wait a second. Who's your mother?" Elias asked.

Isidora's eyes widened before they began to water. "What's wrong?" I asked her.

"She's l-locked up. She's b-been locked up f-for years," she stammered as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"What do you mean locked up?"

"She tried stopping him. She told him it was a bad idea and that he shouldn't be greedy for the ring. He finally had enough of her and locked her up. I visit her once every month. My father doesn't allow me to visit her frequently. I tried once and he locked me up too."

"Was she his second chance mate?" I asked her.

She nodded her head. "They used to be so in love. I don't know what happened..."

"I am so sorry Isidora." I pulled her into me and embraced her.

"Me too," she said.

"Just endure for a little while longer. After we warn the other domains about him, we'll see what we can do to stop him from getting that ring."


	42. Chapter 42

Thursday, December 20

"You guys have a great trip back. I'm sorry, but I do not find it necessary to interact with the other domains," Roman said.

"At least we tried. Who knows? Maybe one day you'll change your mind," I responded.

"Do you have your blood supply?" Isidora asked me.

"Yes, I do. Thanks."

"Elias, this is for Natalia," Roman said before handing him a necklace. It was a dark silver chain with a glowing orange ball as the pendant. Elias took it from his hands and placed it over his neck. "Please tell her I am safe and that I miss her."

Elias nodded his head in response. I could see a bit of resentment in his eyes. It must be tough having a bastard as an uncle. After saying our goodbyes we traveled to the portal.

"I want to knock him in his perfectly straight white teeth," Nathan gritted while swinging his fists.

"He should've killed himself when he had the chance," Elias stated.

Nathan, Jasper, and I didn't respond to Elias' harsh words. Instead, we kept silent and continued walking.

"Anyways, where to next?" Elias asked.

"Jasper can pick," I responded.

"Wow, I feel honoured," he exclaimed. "What about the earth one? Regnum Caeli."

"Regnum Caeli is the Kingdom of Air. Regnum Terram is the Kingdom of Earth," I corrected him.

"Ok, let's go to Regnum Terram."

I watched the boys walked towards the nearest rock and disappear behind it. Once they were finished shifting, they returned back to me with their black shorts in their mouths.

"I'll carry them, we're not littering again."

J- No, just leave them. It's not that big of a deal.

I rolled my eyes before I knelt down and began to fold them neatly one by one. I then walked towards the tall rock and placed them on the ground behind it.

"Alright, let's get out of here."

We all approached the portal and stood in front of it.

I then selected the symbol for Regnum Terram and watched both Milo and Estevao enter into it. After, both Elias and I followed them and went in together.

Once the usual weird sensation was gone, we finally landed into a what seemed like a forest.

N- Really? A damn forest? Why couldn't we have landed in a field of grass or something?

It was dark as we took in our surroundings. This forest reminded me of the jungle.

J- Alright, let's head to the castle.

"Wait. I was thinking we shouldn't go right away. It's still pretty early, so let's find a place to lay low and then we'll go to the castle in the morning," I suggested.

J- Fine.

The boys followed me as I began to look for a spot for us to hide out. I soon approached a small cave that seemed to be located in a humongous tree. 

"What about this place?"

E- Yeah, this spot is perfect.

We all stepped inside. It was quite big. There was enough space for all of us. I sat down and rested my head against the inside of the tree. Estevao sat in front of me, Milo on my left side and Gray on my right. 

"You guys can sleep if you want. I'll stay awake."

J- Nah, I ain't letting that happen. I'll stay awake.

"Estevao, it's fine. Just rest. All of you," I exclaimed.

After a bit of bickering, silence finally settled in. As I sat against the tree I couldn't help but think about everything that had happened. From me being human to me turning into a vampire, and then coming here. It sounded like make-believe.

Around two hours later, I began to hear whimpering. I turned to observe all three of them. Estevao was soundly asleep and so was Milo. I then turned to look at Gray, to see him shaking.

"Gray?" I called out as I began to rub my hand over his furry back. He suddenly opened his eyes and immediately stood up and started growling.

"It's ok, I'm right here," I repeated over and over again.

E- Leilani...

I motioned for him to sit back down but closer to me. He hesitantly responded as he nuzzled his head into me. I rested my head into him and placed my hands over him. "Shhh, it's ok. I'm safe."

His heartbeat began to return to its steady beating. I then closed my eyes and silently prayed to the moon goddess. "Please take away his nightmares. Please."

\- 

 

"Hello!"

I opened my eyes to be greeted by daylight. The boys were still soundly sleeping around me as I focused my eyes on the three young boys peering into our tree.

"She's pretty," the blonde one said.

"Uh..." I quickly tapped each wolf waking them up. "We've got company."

They all sat up and yawned before looking at the boys. I mean at least it wasn't a scary guy. These boys were adorable.

"Hey! They're werewolves too!" the black one exclaimed.

"Hi," I said.

"Hello! Who are you guys?" the brunette asked. One by one we got out of the tree.

"I am Leilani. And this is Estevao, Milo, and Gray. We were wondering if you could please take us to the castle. We come from Regnum Aqua."

"Regnum Aqua. Cool," the blonde one responded. "Should we help them out?" 

"Yeah, they seem nice."

"Follow us!"

N- How old are these kids?

J- Maybe eight or nine.

They began to run extremely fast through the forest. "Hey! Wait up!" I shouted.

J- These kids are fast!

"Pick up the pace boys. We are not going to be outrun by 8-year-olds."

We began running faster ensuring that the little boys never left our sight. We finally approached a hill that had a staircase leading downward. The sight in front of us was absolutely breathtaking. "Welcome to Regnum Terram!" they all shouted together.

"Come on!" The boys suddenly raced down the hill and disappeared into the maze leaving us still standing there in awe   
"Come on!" The boys suddenly raced down the hill and disappeared into the maze leaving us still standing there in awe.

J- Let's try and keep up. Shall we?

We followed them down the stairs and with speed followed them into the maze. They were fast. They probably had the maze memorized.

Once we reached the end of the maze, I immediately looked up at the castle admiring it. I then looked back down to see a man and pregnant lady handing out flowers to many children. Some children had their hands placed on the woman's belly as they giggled when they felt movement.

The couple's eyes finally met ours causing them to stop moving. A female lady standing nearby ushered the children away almost immediately leaving us with the couple. 

"Alpha Adamus! Alpha Adamus!" the boys exclaimed as they rushed over towards him and gave him a hug.

"What do we have here?" Alpha Adamus asked with a chuckle. The blond boy motioned for him to lower his head so he could whisper into his ear. 

"Hmm... I see... interesting..."

"Well, your job is done now, boys. I'll take it from here," Alpha Adamus said with a smile. The three boys suddenly rushed back into the maze leaving us standing awkwardly with the beautiful couple.

Alpha Adamus called out a word which I assumed was Latin causing a man to appear out of nowhere and rush towards his side. He whispered into the man's ear causing him to nod his head and rush into the castle.

"Leilani, is it?" Alpha Adamus asked as he examined me first and then the boys.

"Yes."

"Well, I'm Adamus, the Alpha Terra of Regnum Terram and this is my wife Celestia."


	43. Chapter 43

"It's nice to meet you guys," I responded.

Suddenly the man appeared out of nowhere with three dark green shorts and three white muscle tees. He handed them to Alpha Adamus. 

"Thanks. These are for your friends. They can change over there," he said before pointing at a door placed on the outside of the maze. 

"Thanks," I responded as he handed them to me. I followed the boys to the door and opened it for them. It was indeed a private room with walls of leaves, no ceiling and a small bench placed in the middle of the grassy ground. 

I placed their clothing on the bench and exited the room. I walked back towards the couple and stood in front of them. "You're probably wondering why we're here. I'm sure the boy told you we come from Regnum Aqua."

"Yes, he did. Are you guys inhabitants of Regnum Aqua or earth?" Celestia asked me.

"We belong to the visiting packs from earth. We come from the SilverCreek Pack and the efsdkf pack."

All of a sudden, the door behind us creaked open and out stepped Elias, Nathan, and Jasper wearing their new clothing.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Alpha Adamus and Celestia," Jasper said before bowing down. 

"Oh, that's unnecessary. Stand up son," Alpha Adamus exclaimed with a chuckle. "And you can just call me just Adamus."

"Ok. Well, I'm Jasper," he said before shaking hands with both of them.

"I'm Nathan."

"And, I am Elias."

"It's nice to meet all of you guys," Alpha Adamus said. "Now tell me, what brings three werewolves and a vampire here?" 

"I-Is it that obvious I am a vampire?" I asked. Damn it really was.

"Very," Celestia said with a smile.

"Well, there's something very important I need to tell you both. For the safety of your Kingdom and for Latum Alterum," I said.

"Well, I guess we can go into the Privata Horum, "Adamus said. Both he and his wife walked past me and into the private room. My friends and I were quick to follow. Once we were all inside, Adamus shut the door.

We told them everything. Everything there was to know about Roman. "That is awful," Celestia whispered with sadness.

"Yes, it is..."

"So what do you want us to do? What do you need us to do?" Adamus asked.

"If we all join together, we might be able to take him down. I've heard that none of you Alphas communicate anymore after the incident that happened, but I really think you should. I believe that if Regnum Aqua, Regnum Terram, and Regnum Caeli join forces, we'll be able to stop Roman from destructing Latum Alterum."

"I'm afraid you are right, but without our powers, there's not that much that we can do," Adamus said.

"Wait... what if we find the ring first? Before Roman does," Nathan suggested.

"But how? We have no idea where it is," Elias responded.

"But you know who would know where it is? The previous Alphas..." Jasper said.

"My father hasn't spoken a word since that day," Adamus said. "He won't be able to help us."

"But it's worth a shot Adam. Let them talk to him," Celestia reassured her husband.

"I guess your right. Come, let me take you to him."

-

We entered the room to see Alpha Terra seated in a chair as he stared outside of his room's big window.

"I'll give you guys a couple of minutes," Adamus said before leaving us alone with his father.

"Thank you." 

We all walked towards Alpha Terra and stood next to him.

"Uh, hello, Alpha Terra. My name is Leilani and I am here with my friends. We come from Earth and are currently visiting Regnum Aqua. I am extremely sorry you had to go through what you went through many years ago. It must've been very difficult. Anyways, I am here to warn you guys about what is to come. The new Alpha of Regnum Ignis is planning to retrieve back the ring and rule over the whole of Latum Alterum. I know you and the other Alphas got rid of it, but I was wondering if you had any idea where it currently is?"

I watched Alpha Terra blink a couple of times, but that was it. He didn't move his eyes to look at me.

"It's no use. He's not going to speak," Jasper said.

"Just be patient, maybe he will."I continued speaking with him. Even the boys took turns talking to him, but he didn't budge. Not even once.

"Come on. Let's go," Elias said.

I got up from my knees to follow them out of the room. "Wait, can I speak with him alone? Just give me two minutes."

"Sure."

After the boys left, I opened my mouth to say my final words.

"I am scared. Scared about what is to come and what will happen. But I know I cannot just sit on my ass and do nothing. I have to try. You and the other Alphas were very brave and courageous. You stopped your friend from destroying this beautiful place because somewhere deep in your heart you knew that sacrificing one was better than sacrificing all. Thank you for doing that. I know it must've been hard, but thank you."

I continued staring at Alpha Terra hoping he would at least turn to look at me but still nothing. I sighed as I got up and walked towards the door. Before exiting his room, I turned around to look at him one last time. I then shut the door.

"Nothing?" Nathan asked me.

"Nothing."


	44. Chapter 44

The boys spent the remainder of the day with Adamus and the visiting packs. And I spent my time with Celestia. We were currently seated on swings located on a hill that gave a beautiful view of Regnum Terram.

"This place is paradise," I gushed as rested my head against the ropes of the swings while admiring the view.

"It is. And I am sure the other domains are as beautiful as ours too," Celestia said.

"Have you been to any of them?"

"Yes, I remember going to Regnum Caeli when I was a little girl. With what I remember, I can say it was a beautiful place."

"That's where we are going to next. I am very excited."

"I am sure you will love it," she said. I turned to look at her with a smile on my face. My eyes then went down to her belly.

"How many months are you?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Nine. She should pop out any day now," Celestia said with a chuckle as she rubbed her stomach.

"Um, may I?"

"Go ahead."

I got off of my swing and walked towards her. I knelt down and placed my hand on her stomach. "Hi little girl," I swooned as I rubbed her stomach. I suddenly felt movement underneath my fingertips. "She's kicking!" I exclaimed with joy.

"She is."

"I love children," I sighed with happiness. "One day I would love to have some of my own."

"They would be half Vampire and half Werewolf... isn't that fascinating?" Celestia asked.

"Yes it is. I have no idea how that makes sense, but it will be interesting."

"Is your mate Elias?"

"Yes."

"You make a beautiful couple," she swooned.

"Thank you. I mean so do you. You and Adamus. You guys are absolutely stunning." It was true. They were probably in their late thirties but they looked like they were in their late twenties. Celestia's skin was flawless and she had a smile that brightened everywhere she went.

"Thanks," she responded.

"Do you have a name for you daughter? Sorry if I seem a bit nosy," I said while looking down in embarrassment.

"It's alright, I don't mind. And yes we do. We're going to name her Gaia."

"Ooh. She was the Greek Goddess of earth. That's a lovely name," I exclaimed.

"Yes. We thought about it for a long time, and we decided Gaia was perfect."

"It really is."

-  
Friday, December 21

We gathered around for lunch. I drank my blood as they ate their food. We were currently laughing at something Adamus had said. All of a sudden, we heard someone gasp.

I turned to look at Celestia to see her staring straight ahead with a shocked face. Almost like she was possessed.

"What's happening?" I asked Adamus as I got up from my seat.

"She's having a vision," he stated.

"Does she always have visions?" Nathan asked.

"Around four times a year. Celestia, what do you see?" he asked her as he held onto her hand.

"I see our world dying. Disasters after disasters. I see him. The man who you call the devil. His eyes are glistening with fire. H-He's winning!" she shouted before she let out another loud gasp.

She suddenly snapped out of her vision. With widened eyes she looked down underneath the table. "My water just broke."

"Oh my Celestia!!! Gaia noster venit!!"  
We all got up at once. My heart began to beat fast.

"What should we do??? Can I help?" I asked.

"It's alright. We have enough help. Y-You and your friends need to think about what I saw in my v-vision," Celestia stammered.

In one swift movement, Adamus picked up his wife and rushed her out of the room.

"She said she sees our world dying! And there are disasters after disasters! There's no way we can actually defeat Roman!!" Nathan exclaimed. "She even said he's winning!"

"You have no hope! We can still save The Other Side!!"

"LEILANI! SHE JUST HAD A VISION! WE ARE NOT GOING TO WIN!" Nathan shouted at me.

I stumbled back surprised. He had never shouted at me before.

"HOW DARE YOU RAISE YOUR VOICE AT MY MATE?" Elias yelled at Nathan before connecting his fist with my best friend's jaw.

Nathan touched his jaw in pain before swinging his arm at Elias.  
"Guys! Cut it out!!!" Jasper raised his voice before interfering which caused the boys to stop fighting.

"I'm sorry for yelling, it's just there's no way this is going to work! We have no idea where the ring is, meaning the werewolves living in Latum Alterum are completely powerless. Alpha Terra can't even help us because he's not speaking! How are we going to try and save this place when Celestia just had a vision proving that we won't win???"

"Nathan!! We still have to try. I know it might sound crazy, but we will win. There is no way Roman will destroy this place. There is no way the moon goddess will abandon us."

"Do you really believe in her?!" Nathan exclaimed. "If she was real, she wouldn't have allowed Roman to enter this place. We wouldn't be here right now!"

"But that's the point!! She's given us a deed to complete. And it's quite obvious this is the deed. Now this is far more complicated and dangerous than any other deed which is why now is not the time to back down!!"

Suddenly a piercing yell of anguish echoed throughout the castle startling all of us.

"I am going for a walk," Nathan stated before exiting the room.

"Nathan wait!" I called out after him.

"To be honest, Nathan is right. Visions never lie. But I'm not going to back down. I'm going to stay by your side and try and take down that crazy bastard who happens to be related to me. We won't let him win," Elias exclaimed.

"Me too. You've got our backs," Jasper added.

"Thanks guys, now let me go knock some sense into Nathan. You should go check up on Celestia and Adamus to see if they need any more help."


	45. Chapter 45

"Nathan, just hear me out ok? I understand Celestia just had a vision. We all witnessed it. In her vision she saw Latum Alterum dying, disasters after disasters, and Roman winning. But that doesn't mean anything. What if her vision was interrupted by her water breaking? Just please, have a little hope."

"It's hard Leilani. We only know so much about Roman and so much about this place. What if one of us dies?"

I shook my head. "No, no one is going to die. I would never allow it," I stated. That thought never even crossed my mind.

"You're right. I'm sorry for overreacting. Let's go back inside and help them out."

-

Gaia was so precious. Watching both Celestia cradle the baby while Adamus had his arms around her made me emotional. It was beautiful. Seeing their faces glow as they admired their creation.

"I want a baby," Nathan sighed.

"Did he really just say that?" Jasper asked.

I chuckled while staring at Nathan. "One day you will have many cute babies with your mate."

"That's if she's even out there," he sighed.

"She is. She's just taking her sweet time."

-

Saturday, December 22

The next morning we were off. We had only two more days before we needed to get back to Regnum Aqua. After saying our goodbyes to Adamus, Celestia, and baby Gaia we traveled to the portal.

"What do you think Regnum Caeli will look like?" I asked the boys.

N- No idea. Maybe it'll be very windy.

And boy was Nathan right. After entering the portal, we landed on what seemed like a very tall cliff. Because it was still dark, we decided to wait until morning so it would be easier to find the castle. 

I woke up later in the morning with a smile on my face.

"Guys, wake up. Let's go."

It was very light outside. I looked up to be greeted by a thick fog. "I can't see anything," I complained. After waiting for a bit, the fog finally lifted revealing a beautiful view of Regnum Caeli.

"Oh my..." Every kingdom we went to amazed me. They were all so unique and fascinating in their own way. Regnum Caeli floated in the sky with clouds surrounding it. It was quite far from where we were which concerned me.

J- It's beautiful.

E- It is, but how the heck are we going to get there?

I started looking around hoping that a bridge would pop out of nowhere. "No idea."

All of a sudden, Milo started moving backwards very slowly. "What are you doing?" I asked him.

Then he started running towards the edge of the cliff and jumped off. "MILO!" I screamed in terror. I rushed over towards the edge of the cliff and looked down. I saw that Milo hadn't disappeared, but was rather standing on a cloud. 

"H-How?" I asked as he elevated up causing us to get a better view of him.

N- I just figured that we could probably stand on clouds because this kingdom is full of them and it is Regnum Caeli.

"But, if that wasn't the case then what would've happened?" I asked him feeling very upset that he would do such a thing.

N- I probably would've died.

J- How the hell is he just saying that casually?

"Milo you cannot just do that."

N- Shouldn't you be thanking me? Who knows? If I didn't jump we've would've been standing on that cliff for hours.

I rolled my eyes and decided it was best for me to just ignore him. I couldn't believe he was really that clueless. If he ever died, I would probably die.

N- Don't be mad.

"Let's just get on a damn cloud," I stated to Estevao and Gray. 

Estevao wasted no time until he found himself on a cloud.

N- We can share a cloud, Leilani.

I turned to look at Gray and pet his back. "Let's find a cloud big enough for the both of us." 

N- Is she really mad at me? 

After Gray and I managed to jump onto a cloud it was time for us to figure how to get closer to Regnum Caeli.

J- Are we supposed to jump from cloud to cloud like the Garden of Lilies in Regnum Aqua?

"Hmm, I don't think so. It's not like there's water underneath us. We don't even know if there's a ground," I said while looking down. "Wait. What if they move?"

N- Do we talk to them?

J- Are you serious? Why would we talk to the clouds?

N- You never know. Hey, cloud? Can you and your friends take me and my friends over there?

"This is ridiculous. These clouds are not-" Unexpectedly, our cloud started moving. "Alive." Our clouds began to travel through the hot air and towards the floating Kingdom.

"I hate it when he's right," I said to Gray.

J- I can't believe your ideas are actually working.

N- You're one to talk. You have the worst sense of direction.

G- Will you two shut up?

Once we finally made it to land, we leaped off the clouds. Milo thanked them as we stood there watching him communicate with clouds.

J- Can't wait to tell the others that Nathan talks to clouds.

"Alright. That's enough. Let's go." We began to travel through the village. We had no clue where we were going. People stared at us weirdly as they whispered amongst themselves. "I'll just ask someone to direct us." 

I looked around until I spotted a girl. She was radiant. Her copper skin glistened with light as I admired her. 

"Hi, uh sorry to disturb you  
"Hi, uh sorry to disturb you. I'm Leilani and I came here with my friends. We come from the earth but are currently visiting Regnum Aqua. We come to deliver very important information. If you could please direct us to your Alpha, that would be great."

"Sure. Follow me."

We followed the woman through the village until we made it in front of the castle. She then turned around to face us again.

"So, what's up?"

"Yeah, we need to speak with your Alpha. Is he around?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm Nephele," she said before sticking out her hand. I hesitantly shook it back. 

"And you are?" I asked.

"I am the Alpha of Regnum Caeli."


	46. Chapter 46

J- She's what?

A female Alpha. This was amazing. I just assumed they were all male. I couldn't believe it. "That's so cool," I sighed. "It's nice to meet you Alpha Nephele," I exclaimed.

"Likewise. Also, you can drop the Alpha. Just call me Nephele."

"Ok," I responded still feeling amazed.

"Why don't we go inside?"

We followed her into the castle. The inside was magical. Being in Latum Alterum and visiting the different kingdoms felt like I was having a dream that I didn't want to wake up from.

I watched as a woman appeared holding shorts and t-shirts in her hands. "These are for your friends," Nephele said while taking them from the woman and handing them to me. "They can shift in that room," she said while pointing to a door.

After the boys shifted, they exited the room and walked back to us.

"Hi, I am Elias. It's nice to meet you Nephele," he said while shaking hands with her. "And I'm Jasper, and this is Nathan."

"It's nice to meet you guys too. You guys are very handsome," she stated.

Nathan chuckled in embarrassment causing his cheeks to turn pink. "Uh, thanks," Jasper responded.

"And you are a very beautiful Vampire. Your hair is quite fascinating," she said while looking at me.

"Thanks. You're ok with me being a Vampire?" I asked.

"Yes. I am definitely more than ok with you being a Vampire," she said with a laugh. "Now what is this very important piece of information that you must tell me?" she asked sounding concerned.

"It's going to be a lot to take in. We should perhaps sit down."

-

After telling her everything, Nephele stared at us with a shocked face.

"This is absurd. Your uncle is crazy," she scoffed.

"Yeah, he's definitely more than just crazy..." Elias muttered underneath his breath.

"I am very thankful that you guys came here to warn us about this. Thank you."

"We had to. And the crazy thing is we only wanted to visit each domain just to tell you Alphas that you should start communicating again. But when we traveled to Regnum Ignis, we learned the unfortunate truth. I'm afraid whatever happened before might happen again but worse."

"Me too," Nephele said while looking down.

"Uh, we were also wondering if your father is still alive," Nathan asked her.

"He is, but he has no memory of what happened."

My friends and I stared at her in silence. This was insane. The previous Alpha of Regnum Ignis was obviously not alive, Sebastian's father wasn't alive either, but the two other Alphas were. It sucked that Adamus' father couldn't speak and Nephele's father lost his memory.

"Well, we were wondering if we could still talk to him," Elias said.

"Yeah sure. Follow me, I believe he's on the balcony reading."

We followed Nephele up a staircase and into that level's open floor. The doors to the balcony were open revealing her father who was seated on a chair reading a book.

"Salve pater. Habeo amicis, qui volunt aliquid loqui tibi."

"I videre," he responded. "Hello," he greeted us.

"Hi," we all said in unison before bowing our heads in respect.

After telling him everything, I decided to ask him a question.

"I know your memory of what happened is gone but is there anything you do remember that could possibly help us?" I asked in desperation.

"I am sorry. I do want to help you and your friends, but I don't remember anything that happened. I am very sorry."

"Yeah, we understand. Thank you for speaking with us. We're sorry for disturbing you," I replied.

We turned around to walk out of the balcony leaving Nephele alone with her father.

"At least we tried," Nathan said.

"Yeah, it was worth a shot. It sucks though, that no one has any information that could help us find the ring. I don't think we'll be able to find it," Jasper said.

"Yeah, our best bet is to let Roman find it first and then snatch it from him," Elias added.

"I have a feeling you're right Elias. It's a scary thought, but I think that's what we're going to have to do," I replied.

Would we be able to snatch the ring from Roman? We haven't seen his evil side yet, and we only know some of the things he's capable of doing. A bit of fear gripped my heart as we stood there waiting for Nephele.

"Once we get back to Regnum Aqua, we need to make a plan. We need to be prepared for whatever comes our way," Elias said.

It was weird hearing Elias talk this much. He was often quiet.

"Yeah, Eli is right. We don't know when Roman will start doing whatever the hell he's planning, but we need to be ready," Jasper exclaimed.

"I know Sebastian might be upset that we left without telling him, but we'll need his help too," I said.

We watched Nephele exit the balcony as she walked towards us.

"I am so sorry guys," she said. "His memory hasn't been the day since the incident."

"It's alright. We understand."

We exited the room and walked down the stairs.

All of a sudden, a girl around my age came bursting through the castle doors with excitement."Nephele! There is-" She briefly scanned us before her eyes stood still on Nathan. Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at him.

"Mate," Nathan growled.

He walked over towards her causing the girl's eyes to light up.

"Oh my..." Nephele said as well all watched what was happening.

"Hi," Nathan sighed heavily with a smile on his face.

"Hello," she replied with a grin.

My heart dropped as I stared at them. I swallowed slowly seeing Nathan stare at his mate like she was a million dollars. I was very happy for them, just a bit sad. I couldn't understand why I was sad.

I let out a small sigh before removing my gaze from them and focusing on the floor instead. I then felt someone's fingers interlock with mine. I followed the hand with my eyes and looked up to see Elias giving me a smile of reassurance.

I smiled back as I moved closer to him.

"Now it's just Jasper," Elias said with a chuckle.

"Actually no, it's not," Jasper responded with a smirk.

"What do you mean? You've found your mate?" I asked feeling surprised.

"Yeah..."

"Who is it?" Elias asked persistently.

"Uh... I don't know if I should-"

"Just say it!" Elias barked at him.

"My mate is Isidora."


	47. Chapter 47

Here's my longest chapter so far LOL

"MY COUSIN IS YOUR MATE?!" Elias yelled out.

"Elias, why are you always yelling?" I asked him. Like damn, Jasper was literally right there.

"Yes, she is."

"But how? We didn't see you guys together at all," Elias inquired.

"We kept it a secret. My wolf almost took control when I saw her, but I somehow managed to calm him down."

"Did you guys spend time together at all?" I asked feeling bad that he didn't want to tell us knowing that Elias would probably freak out like he was right now.

"Yeah, after she showed you guys your room, she sneaked into mine and we talked a lot," he said.

"Aw, that's cute," I sighed.

"If you hurt her in any way..." Elias threatened to Jasper.

"Oh shut up. You literally rejected me! That's the worse a mate could ever do!" I exclaimed.

"I didn't actually reject you," he said.

"Technically you did. You were a total douche back then. Now you've calmed down."

"I'm sorry," he said while looking at the floor.

"It's in the past now. Let's just worry about the present and the future," I said before giving him a hug.

Elias tensed up which caused me to release my hold of him. Before I could even get away, he pulled me back into his arms and hugged me back.

"Ok, I miss Isidora," Jasper sighed.

"Don't worry, you'll be able to visit her soon," I said.

"Are you sure? I mean will Sebastian let me?"

"Who cares what Sebastian thinks or says. You've been waiting for your mate for years. Nothing can separate you now. In fact, I think you should live in Regnum Ignis instead of Regnum Aqua. You both need each other," I stated.

"Yeah, I wish that could happen. I miss her like crazy," he said.

Nathan and his mate finally stopped staring at each other which allowed her to walk over towards us.

"Hi. I'm Annora."

She was so pretty. Just staring at her made me feel insecure about myself. She and Nathan would make an adorable couple.

"Hi, I'm Leilani. And this is my mate Elias and that's Jasper."

"It's nice to meet you guys," she said with a smile. She then turned back to look at Nathan.

"I still can't believe it," she exclaimed before giving him another hug. "Come on, I have so much to tell you," she said ecstatically. And off they went.

"Well, you guys must be exhausted. I'll let you have some time to yourselves. We can meet up in a bit for lunch," Nephele said.

"I'm actually not that tired. I was wondering if you could show me-" Jasper started as he walked away with Nephele leaving Elias and me all alone.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked me.

"I would love to."

-

We began to walk around. Regnum Caeli was so beautiful. The air was warm and the clouds were very near.

"Do you have a crush on Nathan?" Elias asked me out of the blue.

"Uh, why do you ask?"

"I don't know. I mean you guys are best friends. You've known each other for years. You even have nicknames for each other. You might've kissed before or even-"

"Ok, you can stop right there," I said. It was obvious that Elias was the jealous type. "I can assure you that I do not have a crush on Nathan. Yes, there was a time when I did have a thing for him, but I promise that ship has sailed. It's just he's never had another girl in his life other than me and his mom. He never even dated throughout high school. And now that's he's found his mate, I'll have to take a step back and let her be the main girl in his life."

"I mean, that doesn't mean you guys can't be friends anymore, it'll just mean you might not be able to be as close as you were before."

"Yes, I guess so."

"So you've never kissed each other?" he asked me.

"Nope." I would never tell Elias about our almost kiss. It was basically irrelevant.

"I'm sure you've dated and kissed other guys though," he said.

"Actually no. Most boys thought I looked weird because of my hair and eyes. So there were no boys interested in me."

"Are you serious?" he asked me sounding completely shocked.

"Yes. Uh, what about you?" I was dying to know if he had any girlfriends or flings.

"No one interested me."

"Wait, so you're saying if someone did interest you, you would've dated them?" I asked.

"Well, before I met you, I tricked myself into believing I didn't have a mate out there, which was very stupid of me I know, but I just couldn't be bothered. I was an asshole. I didn't really care about things like that."

"Well I'm glad I got you to your senses," I said.

"Yes," he chuckled.

"Did you just laugh? Oh my gosh. Who are you and what have you done with the real Elias?" I asked very dramatically.

"Yes, I laughed. I can be nice if I want to be."

"So be nice. Sometimes you get so worked up over the littlest things! You need to live a little," I exclaimed before nudging him.

Suddenly the strong wind began to blow. Both of our long locks immediately flew up in the air. I began to laugh as I enjoyed the cool breeze washing over us. After it calmed down a bit, I decided to ask my burning question.

"What was your first impression of me?"

"Well, do you want me to be honest?" he asked. Oh gosh. Was it going to be something negative?

"Yes."

"Well, when I recognized that I was being stalked, I thought 'there's no way people this creepy actually exist'," he said while laughing.

"That's not what I meant," I frowned in embarrassment. I hated thinking about what I did. And for the record, he stalked me too!

"Well, I remember just looking around SportCheck with Jasper, Julian, and Raphael and then suddenly I could smell you. Your scent was so overpowering. And then when I realized my mate, the person I am destined to be with forever was standing right in front of me, I got so angry. I remembered my uncle and how he wasn't able to protect his mate and that scared me knowing that the exact same thing could happen to me. I really thought I was able to put off meeting my mate for as long as I could, but apparently not. I just remember being so furious. I never even told the boys about you. Not even Jasper."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't want them to lecture me on why I should accept you as my mate. In my mind, I already made my decision to reject you. I was stubborn and hated it when others told me I was wrong."

"Wow."

"And then when I realized it was you stalking me, I was so angry that the moon goddess brought us together again. I was going to officially reject you, but Gray changed my mind last minute. I am still very sorry for treating you the way I did," he said in remorse.

"It's alright Elias. Everyone makes mistakes. I just want to know something. Were you disappointed when you saw what I looked like? Were you expecting a lighter skinned person and someone with normal hair?"

"I never imagined my mate would be black. I never even looked at black girls, to be honest. But when I had you up against that tree, I couldn't help but stare at you. Your hair was so fascinating, your eyes were so mysterious, and the darkness of your skin was very unique to me. I thought you were beautiful. I mean you still are," he said very slowly before scratching the back of his neck.

My heart leaped hearing those words come out of his mouth.

"Those dicks in your school were blind. You are the most breathtaking girl I have ever laid my eyes upon."

My stomach churned as the butterflies began moving wildly.

He stepped closer to me and placed both of his hands on my face.

My heart was still beating uncontrollably. His face got closer to mine as he stared into my eyes. He then lowered his eyes to my lips before tracing his thumb over them. I panted softly for air as my heartbeats quickened.

I hesitantly reached my hands around his neck bringing him closer to me.

"Elias I-"

"Shhh," he hushed me. "Don't speak."

I gulped before closing my eyes. This was it, he was going to kiss me. I remained calm as I sensed his pink lips slowly approaching mine. Just one more breath and our lips would touch.

"Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds, but lunch is ready," I heard Jasper call out from a couple of feet away from us. I opened my eyes to see that Elias had removed his hands from my face and looked beyond pissed.

"Jasper..." Elias gritted through his teeth in annoyance.

"I mean you could always have it later..."


	48. Chapter 48

Sunday, December 23

Before we knew it, our time was up in Regnum Caeli. My friends and I were currently gathered in front of the portal with Nephele and Annora.

"It was a pleasure having us, thank you!"

"Anytime! Feel free to visit whenever you want," Nephele said.

First, Jasper made his exit, leaving Elias, Nathan and me left.

"Alright goodbye," I said before turning around.

"Leilani," I heard Nathan call out to me.

"What is it? Do you want to go last this time?" I asked with a chuckle. Elias would have to go right after me, but I was sure he wouldn't mind.

"Actually, no. Um, I'm not coming with you guys..."

And that's when my heart shattered. "W-What do you mean you're not coming with us?" I asked feeling a hit of emotions slap me in the face.

Nathan pulled me away from the others.

"I've decided to stay here with Anorra."

"But, why? I mean you just met her."

"Leilani. She's my mate. I've been waiting for her for two years. I want to spend all the time I can with her before we leave."

It was at that moment that I realized I was being inconsiderate and selfish. Nathan was no longer mine. I mean, he never was.

"I'm sorry. I completely understand." I embraced Nathan into a quick hug, before leaving him, Nephele, and Anorra standing there confused as I rushed over towards Elias.

"See ya!" 

"Leilani-"

I grabbed Elias' hand before Nathan could finish his sentence and pulled him into the portal after me.

-

"ARE YOU GUYS OUT OF YOUR MINDS?!!" Sebastian yelled at us as we stood in his throne room.

"Um, not exactly..." Jasper said.

"SILENCE!" he yelled at Jasper.

"Ok, Sebastian you need to calm down!!!" I exclaimed.

"I AM NOT FINISHED SPEAKING!" he yelled at me.

"DID YOU JUST YELL AT MY MATE?!" Elias shouted at him before charging towards him.

"Okay, okay that's enough," Mateo said as he blocked Elias from touching Sebastian. "Everyone calm down! Especially you Sebastian. Let them speak!"

Sebastian huffed before he signaled for me to continue.

"I'm sorry that you seem offended in any way, but we had to go. We couldn't just sit around and pretend like everything was cool. We needed to reunite the Alphas!"

"And did you do that? Are all the other Alpha's willing to speak to each other?" he asked.

"Well, see that's the thing. There's something we need to tell you about the new Alpha Ignis. His name is Roman and he is Elias' uncle.

-

"This is impossible," Sebastian responded after we told him everything there was to know about Roman and his evil plan.

"I am afraid not. She's telling the truth," Elias said.

"So you're telling me the new Alpha of Regnum Ignis is searching for the ring? How are you certain of this?"

"His daughter told us."

"And how do you know she isn't lying?"

Truth is we didn't know. But there was no way Isidora was lying to us. I mean why would she?

"We're certain she's not lying," Jasper said backing me up.

"So what are you guys going to do?" he asked us.

"Who said we were going to do anything?" I asked him.

"Oh, so you're just going to sit back and watch everything unfold?" Sebastian asked sarcastically. He clearly knew we were going to do something about it.

"We're not going to do anything just yet. If we had information on the ring's whereabouts, we would search for it, but we don't. And even if we did try looking for it, it would take us days or even weeks."

"So you're just going to wait, for what? For him to get the ring first?" Mateo asked.

"Well, yes. There's no other way," I stated.

-

Sebastian suggested that my friends and I should tell everyone about what was going on so there were no surprises. So we told them. There were a lot of gasps and questions, but I was glad everyone knew what was going on.

My friends, especially the girls, questioned us. They wanted to know what every domain looked like and all the events that took place. They were also very happy for Jasper and Nathan.

Saphira became worried that I would miss Nathan too much, but I told her I was fine. It wasn't like he was staying there forever. I would see him again hopefully soon.


	49. Chapter 49

Monday, April 8

Four.

Four months had passed by and nothing. Not a single bit of action or noise. Jasper had transferred to Regnum Ignis because we knew Roman would've never allowed Isidora to leave his sight. Nathan visited us once right after he turned nineteen. It was weird not seeing him or speaking to him on his birthday, but I saw him a couple of days later.

Jasper hadn't visited us at all. The last time we saw him was four months ago, the day he left Regnum Aqua. We had stayed here the entire time. I wanted to visit Regnum Ignis to see what was happening, but Sebastian wouldn't let me. I didn't bother disobeying him, so instead, I waited. We waited.

I couldn't understand why Roman hadn't struck yet. I mean, yes he was obviously thinking things through and taking his time, but four months was literally sixteen weeks.

I was nervous. We had prepared ourselves. We learned how to fight and how to defend. We gathered spears, shields, bows and arrows and swords. But still nothing.

And that's when I realized. I knew exactly why nothing was happening. Roman hadn't found the ring yet. I assumed it wasn't just lying somewhere out in the open. It was probably hidden. If he couldn't find it with help, there was no way we could find it either.

My friends and I were currently swimming in a hot water pool refreshing ourselves.

"I'm tired of waiting," Elias said.

"We all are," Raphael said.

"I mean at least we're not on earth. We would have to go to school and do boring stuff," Neha sighed.

"True."

"I just don't get it. I mean will Roman ever find the ring?" I inquired.

"Who knows? I think he should just give up," Violet said.

"Well, Roman seems stubborn. Giving up has probably never even crossed his mind," Elias said.

"I wonder how Jasper's doing..." Julian added.

"Me too. Do you think he hasn't visited us because Roman isn't letting him?" Indigo asked.

"Possibly. I mean Roman is Roman," I said.

"When I see that douche, the first thing I'm going to do is punch him in the face," Blaike muttered.

"Well, the next time we'll see him will be when he has the ring," Saphira said.

"It sucks that we have no powers," Lucian sighed. "I wouldn't mind drowning him."

"That reminds me, when we do fight him, who's going to be in their wolf form?" I asked.

"Obviously the guys," Blaike said.

"Ok, that is totally unfair!! Amara wants to fight too!!!!" Neha exclaimed.

"No, the girls will stay here," Lucian stated.

"Lucian, I am fighting whether you want me to or not. You can't stop me!" Saphira argued.

"No, you are not! I don't want you to get injured," he responded.

"It's not up to you!!!"

"Yes, it is! You're my mate."

"I cannot deal with this right now," she said before getting out of the pool.

"Saphira wait!" Lucian called out to her.

"You can't protect me from everything! I am not a child!" she yelled as she grabbed her towel before storming off.

I got out of the pool immediately and followed Saphira.

-

"I just don't get it! Why can't we fight? Why do the guys treat us like we're weak? Lucian is so aggravating!"

"Saphira! Don't worry, we'll get to fight. I won't allow us to just stay here in Regnum Aqua while the guys go."

"Ok. But why is Lucian so protective of me? He acts like he owns me! I understand he's my mate and I absolutely love him, but my decision to fight is not up to him, it's up to me."

"Saphira, he's just scared. I mean if you had a choice, would you let Lucian go and fight?"

"Of course not. I wouldn't want him going anywhere near that psychotic Roman guy."

"Exactly. I fully agree that us girls should be allowed to fight and trust me we will just don't forget that he's also very scared. I mean we all are. Roman will be very powerful when that ring slips onto his finger. We have a lot to lose which is why we need to be careful."

"Ok, maybe I overreacted a bit. Thanks for calming me down," she said before giving me a hug.

-

Once evening came, Elias and I both headed to bed.

"Leilani?" he called as I walked over towards my side of the bed.

"Yes?"

"You're so beautiful."

I formed my mouth into an O. I felt shy hearing him say that I was beautiful so casually. I laughed awkwardly as I slipped into bed. I pulled the sheets over my head to hide my cheeky smile.

"Don't hide from me," he chuckled as he ripped the blanket away from me.

I laughed in response before placing my hands over my eyes. I suddenly felt him remove my hands from my face. I watched him carefully as he placed a kiss on my hand.

It was weird seeing this side of Elias. He was so gentle and affectionate. I wanted to see this side of him more often.

"I'm so lucky," he sighed as he caressed my hand. He then moved his lips near my face as he reached over to move my strands of hair to reveal my neck.

"One day, I'll mark you right there," he said as he rubbed his fingers over the spot. "That's if you want me to."

"I d-do," I stammered. Then Elias did something that I would never forget. He placed his lips onto that spot and kissed it lightly.

It sent a million electric bolts through my veins as I sighed in satisfaction. I wasn't sure if the attraction was twenty times stronger because I was a vampire and he was a werewolf, but it was intense. I felt so alive just feeling his lips brush lightly over my neck.

After, I shifted myself closer to Elias allowing him to wrap his arms around me. He immediately fell into a deep sleep.

After a while, I closed my eyes too.

Tuesday, April 7

I don't recall the exact time this happened, but I just remember waking up to a weird sensation filling my body. I opened my eyes to see someone peering over me. I looked over at Elias to try alerting him not realizing I had become paralyzed. I couldn't move or speak. It was a scary feeling that made me feel unsafe. My heart began beating faster and faster as my body moved away from Elias. It was moving on its own as it ignored what I wanted it to do. Slowly my eyes became droopy making it hard for me to identify the third person in the room.

I woke up again for the second time in an unfamiliar place. This time I was able to move and speak. I sat up from what seemed like a bed and that's when I noticed that my hands were tied and I was chained. "HELP!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Where the hell was I?

Suddenly, the door of the room opened. I looked instantly to see a familiar face.

"Oh look! The little princess is finally awake," they said sarcastically.

"N-Nailah?!"


	50. Chapter 50

She walked over towards me with a grin on her face.

"Where did you take me? Where am I?" I asked furiously. "Why are my hands tied and why am I chained?"

"Woah Woah. Slow down. What's with all the questions?" she asked me with a chuckle.

"Just answer them!!"

She unchained me before roughly pulling me off of the bed. "I'll guess you'll just have to find out."

She dragged me out of the room and down the hallway. As she pulled me down the stairs I began to take in my surroundings. Were we in Regnum Ignis?

As she pulled me into Roman's throne room, I saw him sitting on his throne chair with four men guarding him.

Nailah threw me onto to the floor.

"She's all yours," she told Roman.

"Thank you."

"Nailah? You're w-working for him?" I asked feeling confused.

"I wouldn't call it working. He shared some thoughts and ideas with me and I am totally for it," she answered with a smile.

"HOW COULD YOU BETRAY SEBASTIAN LIKE THAT? HOW COULD BETRAY REGNUM AQUA LIKE THAT?!"I shouted at her.

She walked over towards me and grabbed me by the arm. "Listen carefully you little brat. I've always been the afterthought of every decision Sebastian has made. I used to love him for years, but he never loved me back. Now it's my time to show him that I am worth it, strong, and capable. But he's lucked out. I don't want him anymore because he's weak. Once Roman finds the-"

"Ok, that's enough Nailah," Roman interrupted.

She let go of me and walked over towards Roman's side.

"Why am I here Roman? What do you want with me?" I asked him as I got up from the floor.

"It shouldn't take too long because I know you'll be able to find it."

What?

"Find what?"

"Find the ring. You're going to help me find the ring. Seeing that you're a Vampire and are rather intelligent, who knows? Maybe you'll hit the nail that we've been trying to hit for months now."

Why would I willingly help him find the ring? Did he really think I would say yes?

"No. I am n-not going to find you the ring," I stated.

"Well, then Elias dies."

"Excuse me?"

"If you don't help me find the ring, your mate dies."

He was going to kill Elias if I refused to help him? How psychotic was he?

"NO! YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT!" I yelled at him. I ran towards him in anger causing the men to hold me back. "HE'S YOUR NEPHEW!!!"

Roman shook his head as he got up from his throne chair. "I will not allow anyone or anything to get in my way and if that means killing my nephew, then so be it," he said with no facial expression at all.

My eyes began to tear up. I couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. He was truly the devil himself. I feared for Elias. There was no way I would be able to find the ring.

"You have three days."

"Not three days," I pleaded. "Can you give me a week?"

"No. You have seventy-two hours."

"Where am I searching?"

"Here in Regnum Ignis."

"But what if the ring is in Regnum Caeli? Or Regnum Terra?"

"Don't worry. I have people searching there right now. You just focus on this kingdom."

-

I know Leilani is telling the story, but here's Elias reaction after realizing his mate was gone.

Elias' Pov —> Tuesday Morning

I woke up feeling the sunlight cast onto my face. I then turned around to stare at my beautiful mate as I did most mornings.

She was nowhere in sight.

"Leilani?" I called out. She was probably in the bathroom. I remained in bed for another five minutes before getting up to check on her. I opened the bathroom door to see that it was completely empty.

"That's weird. Maybe she's downstairs with the others or back at her pack's house." I checked the time to see that it was 11:00am in the morning. Everyone was already at the castle having breakfast.

After showering, I threw on a t-shirt and a pair of shorts before brushing out my hair.

I then retreated out of the house and checked her pack's house. After realizing that it was also empty, I then made my way the castle. After entering it, I immediately headed over towards the room. Sure enough, everyone was seated having breakfast.

As I walked towards my friend's table, I noticed Leilani wasn't there.

"Good morning Elias!" Saphira exclaimed.

"Morning, uh have you guys seen Leilani?" I asked them.

"No... isn't she with you?" Neha asked me.

"No, I thought she was with you guys."

"Well we haven't seen her since yesterday, so maybe she's talking with Mateo or Sebastian," Indigo suggested.

I started analyzing the room in search of Sebastian and Mateo.

"Dude, there's no need to worry. She's here somewhere," Raphael said.

"Uh, excuse me," I said as I saw Sebastian and Mateo enter the room.

I walked over to them briskly hoping they had seen my mate.

"Have you seen Leilani?" I asked them.

"Um, no we haven't. You can't find her?" Sebastian asked.

And that's when I felt a tinge of fear in my heart.

"No, I h-have no idea where she is. No one does," I replied.

"That's weird, uh let me make an announcement." Sebastian turned to look at the packs before raising his voice.

"SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE LEILANI IS? YOU KNOW, THE VAMPIRE?" he asked everyone in a loud voice.

I waited patiently for someone to speak up and say she went walking or was in the kitchen getting her blood supply.

Many shook their heads as others began whispering amongst themselves.

"OK, I WANT GROUPS OF TEN PEOPLE TO START SEARCHING ALL THE AREAS OF REGNUM AQUA FOR HER. CHECK THE WATERS AND CHECK ALL THE HOMES."

And that's when I started to panic. It turned into chaos as everyone got up and shuffled out of the room. I didn't waste any time and immediately exited the castle to start looking for my mate.

"LEILANI!!" I called out as I began walking across the bridge. Where was she? Had she left on her own to go visit Regnum Ignis?

After hours of searching, Sebastian had gathered us back together.

"DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY VALUABLE INFORMATION?" he asked us.

"Uh, I found this bracelet near the portals," a boy from one of the packs said as he walked towards Sebastian.

"It's Nailah's," Mateo said. "Where is she?" The room remained silent after hearing Mateo's question.

"So both Leilani and Nailah are gone," Sebastian said. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Can we check the other domains?!" I asked.

"We should wait three days."

"Why?" Why the hell should we wait? She could be in danger!

"What if she comes back? I'm sure she's fine," Sebastian said.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO JUST SAID YOU HAVE A BAD FEELING ABOUT THIS AND YOU WANT US TO WAIT FOR THREE DAYS?" I shouted at the bastard. "UNBELIEVABLE!"

I stormed out of the room and exited the castle.

I ran as far away as possible. Over the bridge and through the forest. I finally stopped realizing it was happening again, I was having a panic attack. I began to shift as I repeatedly alternated from my wolf form to my human form. This happened over and over again until I began to hear a voice in my head.

"They couldn't find her for a full week before some hunters found her body in a forest."

"Stop!"

"They would remind him every day that he was pathetic and useless."

"Shut up!!"

"Three years later he committed suicide by hanging himself."

"Get out of my head!"

"I would not be able to live with myself if something ever happened to my mate."

"ENOUGH!!!" I yelled which caused the voice in my head to finally stop talking.

"LEILANI!" I cried aloud as the tears began to fall onto my face. "I'm s-so sorry. I'm v-very sorry," I stuttered as I lay there naked, cold, and alone in the middle of the forest.


	51. Chapter 51

Thursday, April 11

Today was the last day of my three-day search. The first two days were basically useless. I searched Regnum Terram to find absolutely nothing. I had given up hope. There was no way I was going to find the ring.

Roman forbade me to speak with Isidora or Jasper, but we found a way to communicate. She apologized to me several times for her father's ruthless behaviour. I told her it wasn't her fault and that even though she was related to him by blood, she was nothing like him.

We were right. Jasper told me that Roman hated his guts, and forbid him to visit us. It was unfortunate. I also had asked Isidora to update me of what had happened within the past four months.

She had told me they kept searching. Her father never gave up. He was still very determined to find that ring no matter how long it took.

Also, it turned out that Roman had sneakily stolen six packets of my blood. He said knew he was going to need it eventually. As if that's not creepy at all. He also took my earrings, so there was no way I was able to communicate with any werewolf.

I was currently lurking through an area I had never been to before. Regnum Terra was huge. It was rather impossible to search this whole place within three days.

I suddenly tripped over a random rock and caught myself by placing my hands against a tall stone wall. It suddenly started to move. The stone wall began to roll upwards.

"What the heck?"

I stood there confused not expecting anything like that to happen. I turned around to see if anyone was nearby.

So yes, my curious self decided to enter this sketchy opening. Once I was fully inside, the stone wall behind me started coming back down.

"Ah!" I hollered trying to exit the weird place but I was too late. I was shut inside.

"Crap, what just happened?"

I turned back around and wondered if there was anything inside this weird place.

"Hello?" I called out.

All of a sudden, these gold specks of light started appearing almost in the shape of a path.  
As I walked closer, I instantly noticed that they were the exact same stones that I saw at the portal on earth and when we entered all the other portals too.

"Is there a portal here?"

The pathway was quite narrow and long. I was so anxious to know what was on the other side so I began to run. I approached the end of the pathway in a heartbeat and sure enough, there was a portal.

As I checked the selections I soon realized there was only one. It was completely white.

"That's weird, where does this portal lead to?"

I pressed it and stepped inside.

-

"Oh my God..."

There was a huge fountain in the center of this open room with a statue of the moon goddess. There were white trees surrounding it with luminescent grass peeking through the ground. The moon peered through the open top as it's light shone onto the clear water. It felt like a fantasy dream as I began to walk towards the fountain.

"Isn't this the Moon Goddess' fountain?" I remember Sebastian telling me about it.

The water glowed. It was quite obvious that it wasn't normal water. It was healing water. It was at that moment that I decided to sit down for a bit. 

As I sat down, I wondered if I should speak to the statue. If Nathan was here he would probably laugh at me for even thinking such a thing. But I had lost hope. I needed help.

"Um hello. I am not sure if you are actually real, but I just wanted to ask for help. I have to find the ring or Roman will kill my mate. I don't understand why Roman wants the ring so badly. He knows what will happen once he wears it. I also have a feeling we're in big trouble. He's only going to bring chaos, nothing more. So if you're real please help us. I am begging you."

I sat there thinking about everything. All the events that occurred over the past seven months. It was so hard to believe that I was a Vampire currently here in Latum Alterum trying to save this beautiful place. I wished things could return back to normal. Whatever that was.

After sitting there for quite some time, I decided to head back to Regnum Ignis before Roman sent out a search party for me. Oh, how I wished I could stay here. It was so peaceful and far away from everywhere else.

As I got up to retrieve back to the portal, something bright caught my eye. There was something on the other side of the fountain. I walked around it to see a white flower growing from in between the slabs of rock.

"Was this always here?"

I knelt down to get a better look as I saw it growing with my own eyes. "Woah," I sighed as I continued watching it grow.

Suddenly I heard a voice speak to me. The same feminine voice I heard when I was staring at the Moon Goddess' painting in Sebastian's castle.

Leilani, look inside.

I was creeped out by the voice, but I instantly placed my hand on the flower and moved the petals away so I could see inside of it.

"Oh my God, I found it."


	52. Chapter 52

I returned to Regnum Ignis feeling anxious. I couldn't believe that I had found it. I kept it in my pocket not knowing where else to put it. I had a big secret that I was hiding and I wasn't planning on telling anyone about it.

As I walked away from the portal I suddenly realized something. I could literally just go back to Regnum Aqua right now. No one would know. No one would even notice.

Roman usually had Nailah following me when I searched, but for some reason, she was nowhere to be seen. So I slowly tiptoed back to the portal and selected the water icon. I should've done this sooner. How dumb was I?

I stepped inside the portal with relief knowing that I was getting far away from Roman, Nailah, and whoever else agreed and was following through with his foolishness.

As soon I entered Regnum Aqua, I decided to make a run for it. All of a sudden, I collided with someone standing in my way. What the hell?

I got up from the ground to see Nailah standing in front of me with a curious looking face.

"I just knew you were that stupid," she exclaimed.

I couldn't believe Nailah knew I was going to try and escape. It made me look and feel pathetic.

I opened my mouth to scream but Nailah immediately covered it and wrapped her arms around me in a tight grip.

"You can't escape Roman. Stop trying," she laughed.

As she dragged me back to the portal my eyes began to water. She was right. There was no way I could get away from him. There was no point in fighting.

-

"Have you found it?" he asked me.

"No, she hasn't. She was also trying to escape. I caught her just in time," Nailah answered for me.

"Really?" he asked as he walked towards me.

Out of nowhere, one of the werewolves guarding Roman started sniffing the air. Oh crap. He knows I have it.

"What is it?" he asked the wolf.

The wolf continued sniffing as it suddenly started to approach me. With fear, I closed my eyes not understanding how unlucky I was.

I suddenly felt his nose tickle me through my front pocket. I opened my eyes and watched as Roman's eyes widened in surprise. Without saying a word, he reached into my pocket and pulled out the ring.

"I knew I could count on you," he told me as his eyes stayed fixated on the piece of jewelry.

"Roman! Please don't put it on! I am begging you, please! You don't have to do this! This isn't the way!"

"Take her away. Put her in the dungeon."

"NO! NO!" I yelled. These two men suddenly grabbed my arms and began to drag me away.

I bit into one of their arms causing the man to groan in pain. I then kicked the other one in the crotch and ran out of the throne room with my arms tied.

"YOU CAN'T ESCAPE ME LEILANI!!!" Roman yelled after me. I continued running in fear trying to exit out of the hell hole. I suddenly felt pain shoot through my head as my vision began to blur out causing me to completely black out.

-

"OK I AM NOT WAITING ANY LONGER, WE NEED TO GO AFTER HER!" Elias yelled at Sebastian.

"Elias is right. We need to go get her," Mateo added. "She could be in serious danger."

All of a sudden, a blue forcefield echoed throughout the sky causing everyone to fall onto the ground.

"What the hell was that?" Raphael asked as he got up.

"Our powers are back," Mateo stated.

"No way..." Neha sighed.

The gang watched as Sebastian's eyes began to glow a bright blue. As he got up from the ground, he began to huff heavily.

"Is he ok?" Julian asked as they stood there watching Sebastian.

Suddenly Sebastian opened his mouth and began to yell. The gang moved back feeling startled by the light coming out of the sky as it entered into his mouth. 

After the light had fully entered him, he shot out his hand to a nearby tree. A thick layer of ice immediately covered it. He drew an X in the air with his fingers causing the tree to break into different chunks. There was no longer a tree standing but rather bits and pieces of branches, leaves, and ice scattered on the ground.

"What the hell..." Blaike said.

They continued watching as Mateo tested out his powers too.

Finally, Sebastian opened his mouth to speak. "We are ready now. Mateo, gather our army. The others and I will go retrieve Leilani. Once we have her, I'll then give you the signal."

-

I woke up feeling pain. "Ow," I whimpered as I placed my hand against my head. I felt thirsty and weak realizing I hadn't had any blood since yesterday evening.

I look around to see that I was caged up in a dark cell. It was cold and dark. The only light visible was hanging from a lightbulb in the middle of the cell. 

"Are y-you ok?" I heard a raspy voice ask me in the dark. It sounded rather feminine.

"Who's there?!" I asked in fear.

"Don't be afraid child. I won't harm you."

"Who are you?"

"I am Oleta." I watched as a woman crawled into the light towards me.

"What are you doing here? Why are you here?" I asked frantically.

She looked very pale and tired as she sighed.

"His heart. It is already cold. His mind is so corrupted with greed that he can longer see the truth. I warned him about the consequences to his actions, but he didn't listen to me."

"Are y-you Isidora's mother?" I asked.

"Y-Yes, I am."

I rushed over towards her in sorrow. "I am so sorry. You do not deserve this."

"Some things you just can't change. I remember the day he came here. Our Alpha was so pitiful. We all were. He had lost everything. His mate, his family, and his home. All those who he had trusted disowned him and he was all alone. I slowly became his friend and before you know it, we had become lovers. When I became pregnant with Isidora, he knew it was a sign. A sign of hope. He praised the Moon Goddess for delivering him from his misery."

"So what happened? Why is he like this now?"

"I don't even know myself. One day he just switched. This happened after he became Alpha. He felt a desire for the Iongo and decided he would get it whatever it took. Oh, how I warned him so many times, but he never listened to me. He became so annoyed and fed up, he decided to lock me down here. I only want what's best for Latum Alterum, but he can't seem to see that."

"Do not be afraid. I am going to get us out of here. I am going to save you, Isidora and Jasper."

I suddenly began thinking about Elias. My mate. I missed his smile that he showed every once in a while. His hair that I loved to brush in the mornings. The way he held onto me when we slept together in bed. And most importantly him. I had missed him so damn much. He had been so good to me. I know he hated the idea of having a mate, but I'm glad he gave me a try. I really hoped he wasn't freaking out. I wanted him to know that I was ok. If only I had those earrings that Roman stole from me.

"What about the others? Are you going to save them too?"

"Yes, I will." With the help of Regnum Aqua, I will be able to save all the inhabitants of Regnum Ignis. I really hoped that Alpha Adamus and Alpha Nephele will help us too. We won't be able to defeat Roman on our own.

Suddenly the place shook causing the ceiling to crack. Rocks, dust, and debris began to fall onto us. The unknown strong force caused us to both fall onto our backs.

"What was that?" I groaned. My head already hurt and that unfortunately made it worse.

"He found the ring."

With strength, she got up immediately and walked towards the door. She reached out her hand as fire shot out and burned the lock causing it to fall onto the floor.

"Come on, let's get out of here before it's too late."

So Leilani and Oleta managed to escape Roman's castle. They began walking away from it as Oleta held onto Leilani. Oleta had given Leilani a boost of warmth which made the coldness in her body go away.

-

Elias, the gang, Mateo and Sebastian had finally entered Regnum Ignis.

Everyone except Elias began to take in their surroundings. He, on the other hand, immediately started running towards the castle. 

He ignored Sebastian and the others calling out to him as he ran with speed. He needed to find her. He needed to know that she wasn't hurt or harmed and that she was in perfect condition. He felt like a coward for not keeping her safe. He would have to make it up for her. Even if it took him the rest of his life. 

He came to a stop noticing a flash of white from a distance. It was her. His heart leaped with joy and relief. He had found her. He began to run towards her as fast as he could. With a buzz of adrenaline, he began making his way towards her.

Leilani wanted to stop walking. She felt weak knowing she needed blood.

Unexpectedly, she began to see something from a distance that caused her to widen her eyes. Someone was running. She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't going crazy.

It was him. Her mate. Elias. She sighed knowing that they found her. That he found her. She also noticed the others running after Elias. She then told Oleta to join them.

She was all alone now. She could still see her mate running as fast as he could towards her. With the very little strength she had, she started to run towards him.

"LEILANI!" she heard him yell at the top of his lungs.

"My Elias," she whispered in response.

When Elias had finally reached her he immediately pressed his lips against hers.


	53. Chapter 53

Leilani's POV

His tongue stroked my bottom lip asking for an entrance. I immediately gave it to him. I was dying to know how he tasted.

A low growl escaped from his lips as he slipped his tongue into my mouth. I gasped as I felt a flood of emotions hit me like a giant wave; relief, fear, passion, and desire. It was a feeling that I had never felt before. His familiar musky scent hit my nostrils causing my knees to go weak. I had missed him.

He deepened the kiss making me place my hand on his back for support. It was like he knew I was having trouble with my balance because he then removed one of his hands from my face and placed it on my waist pulling me even closer into him. I could feel his hot skin as it came in contact with mine through my thin shirt.

I was no longer cold. In fact, I was hot. My body was on fire. He was rough but gentle as he kissed me desperately.

Elias fingers stroked my back as our lips continued battling each other. This was my first kiss and I had no idea what I was doing. So instead of thinking too much of it, I just followed my heart.

It was crazy to know that we were soulmates. A werewolf and his vampire. Destined to be together forever. Our connection had never felt stronger.

Our lips finally pulled away causing us to rest our foreheads against each other as we panted for air. My heart was beating violently as I tried to catch my breath. I slowly opened my eyes seeing Elias' beautiful grey orbs already looking at me.

"Mine," he growled.

I chuckled a bit feeling my cheeks flare up.

"Hi," I sighed.

"Hi."

I felt comfortable as my eyes stayed glued to his.

"I missed you," he said softly. "Are you ok? Are you hurt? Who do I have to kill?" he asked with a growl

"I missed you too. And don't worry I'm fine," I told him with a reassuring smile.

"Are you sure?" he asked me. "Did Roman try anything on you?"

"No! I am fine Elias. I promise."

"Ok," he said. I was still in shock from our kiss. I looked down at his pink swollen lips realizing I wanted another taste. And by the looks of it, so did he.

We both leaned in to kiss for the second time. "Get a room," Blaike barked at us causing me to move my lips away from Elias' and slowly look back at my friends.

"Oh shut up Blaike. You just ruined their moment," Saphira complained.

"Well, I am glad you're ok Leilani, but now is not the time. Latum Alterum depends on us," Sebastian said. I could see the annoyance in his eyes as he stared at us.

"Hater," I heard Neha mumble underneath her breath.

He was right. Now was not the time, but he also needed to relax. Elias was my mate and I was his. I damn hoped Sebastian's mate would show up soon so he could leave me alone.

"Right," I finally answered back taking a step away from Elias. He immediately interlocked his hand with mine. I smiled at the gesture.

"Uh, we brought you blood, just in case you were thirsty," Violet said. "What even happened?"

"Thank you. Well, Nailah basically kidnapped me and brought me to Roman. He demanded that I find the ring, and so I did. Now he's wearing it and we're doomed."

"Perfect explanation," Blaike responded.

I took the blood from Violet which caused Lucian to immediately turn away from me. I then gulped down two packets.

"I can't believe Nailah betrayed me," Sebastian said angrily as he placed his hand on his forehead.

"She likes you Sebastian and hates the fact that you don't like her back," I told him.

"Well, betraying me is not going to prove anything. I can't believe she would even do such a thing."

All of a sudden, I began to hear the sound of paws hitting the ground. I looked far in a distance to see Mateo carrying a sack of weapons and at least one thousand wolves as they charged towards us from the portal.

"Alright, Mateo is here and don't worry. He brought your weapons."

"HELL YES!" Lucian yelled in excitement.

Once they finally approached us, we took our weapons from Mateo preparing ourselves to fight.

Suddenly, a white light echoed through the air. This time we didn't fall back. We stood still feeling confused.

"What was that?" I asked out loud.

"Latum Alterum..." Sebastian answered.

"What do you mean?" Elias asked him.

"Well here's the thing. When the ring is worn, all the domains are merged together. So instead of this place being divided into four different regions, it's now one."

"So if I run really far, I'll find myself in Regnum Caeli?" Raphael asked.

"Pretty much. The portals to go to the other domains are now useless," Sebastian said.

I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Ok we need to get Isidora and Jasper," I stated. I looked to see Oleta looking concerned.

"Can I come?" she asked me.

"It's best if you stay here. It'll be safer. And don't worry, I'll be back before you even know it," I said to her reassuringly.

"I'll come too," Elias added.

"Elias-"

"I am not losing you again," he said. I looked into his eyes to see a flash of fear. I nodded my head before placing my hand in his.

"Alright, we'll be right back," I told Sebastian and Mateo.

-

"I mind linked Jasper, they should be here shortly," Elias said. We were currently standing near a tree that was located near the east side of the castle.

"I don't get it. I would think Roman would have Isidora locked up or something. He isn't even stopping her," I said.

"Yeah, I don't get it either."

As soon as they approached us, I gave Isidora a hug as Elias did the same to Jasper.

"Thank you," Isidora said. I smiled back feeling grateful that she was ok.

"Oleta. We have your mother," I told her.

"You do?" she cried with happiness.

"Yes, she's safe with the others. Don't worry," I exclaimed.

"Oh thank you, Leilani." She immediately embraced me in a hug. "It was my pleasure," I responded.

"Ok, where is Roman? Shouldn't he be trying to kill us right about now?" Elias asked.

"Well, you see that's the thing. We don't know where he is," Jasper said.


	54. Chapter 54

"What do you mean you have no idea where he is?" Elias asked him.

"We saw him put on the ring, but then before we knew it he was gone. Him and his army of five thousand," he answered.

"Did you say f-five t-thousand?" I asked feeling bewildered.

"Yes, he has made clones of werewolves. He's been experimenting with them for years now," Isidora said.

"Five thousand," I repeated for the second time. That was a massive army. That was one-fifth of what Sebastian had.

-

We finally returned back to the others. They were still in their ready positions. As we stood there waiting I couldn't help but look around.

Regnum Ignis was practically empty. Isidora and Jasper had sent the people living in Regnum Ignis to Regnum Terra, so we were all alone, which was a good thing but it didn't make much sense that Roman let them go freely. I hated not knowing what was really going on. I felt vulnerable.

Suddenly the clouds above us began to move swiftly. I rushed over towards a tree and held onto it for dear life as the wind started blowing like crazy. It then started to pour rain. Hot rain. As the water hit the ground, the earth became muddy and slippery. It was creating a disaster.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Lucian yelled.

And then it happened. The light sky suddenly became dark. It was now pitch black. The full moon arose taking its place in the night sky. It was huge in size as it illuminated in the dark. I removed my hands from the tree when everything became still again. I was a bit terrified. I had no idea what was going on.

All of a sudden, a great army appeared before our eyes. It was Roman's five thousand. Five thousand wolves came charging towards.

"It's time," Sebastian stated. He shifted into his large wolf and howled loudly at the moon. His pack answered in response and howled back. I took the time to place my earrings back into my ears. I was happy Isidora had retrieved it for me. 

I watched my friends as they shifted into their wolves too. It was just me and them. A vampire and packs of wolves. The sixteen and seventeen-year-olds stayed in Regnum Aqua for it was far too dangerous for them to be fighting. Everyone else was amongst Sebastian's army.

I took out my sword and shield feeling prepared. I was ready to defeat Roman. Even though it was our tiny army against his five thousand, I still had hope. God, we didn't even know where he was. 

Sebastian - Follow the plan or you will get hurt. 

Our plan was to get to Roman, so Sebastian had assigned six of us to try and get closer to him. It was two werewolves from Regnum Aqua, Isidora, Jasper, Elias, and I. The issue was we didn't really know where Roman was but assumed he was somewhere near his army.

Isidora - We should split up! Elias and I will go right, you and Jasper go left.

Elias - I am not leaving Leilani. 

"Elias! Now is not the time! I will be fine! Now go!" I yelled at him. 

I watched him whimper before he and the werewolf followed Isidora.

Werewolf - Alright, stay behind me! 

We began to run. In a matter of seconds, we were colliding with Roman's army. I swung my sword and sliced a werewolf's neck causing it to start bleeding. From behind, there were arrows being shot by our army as they fell and pierced Roman's wolves. 

I hated the idea of killing, but they were only clones. Nothing else.

I continued swinging and stabbing whatever wolves came my way. I suddenly took a hit in my calf causing me to groan in pain. I looked down to see four bloody claws marks displayed on my leg. 

Werewolf- ARE YOU OK?!

"YES! I AM FINE!" I responded.

Ignoring the excruciating pain, I continued swinging my sword. 

Werewolf- LEILANI WATCH OUT!

I turned around swiftly and stabbed a wolf who tried lunging toward me from behind.

"ARROWS!!!!!" I heard Blaike's voice ring through my head. 

Without thinking, I immediately took my shield and crouched down in a ball hoping I wouldn't get hit. I looked in front of me to see an arrow with fire at its tip land right next to me. I continued breathing violently as fear gripped my heart. Thank the moon goddess I had a shield. 

I got up after waiting for a bit and swung my sword out in fear not knowing what was behind me. I soon realized that the werewolf had used his powers to wipe away a string of Roman's wolves. They were on the ground several meters away completely soaked in water.

I briefly took the time to turn around and look at how our army was doing. We weren't doing that good. I saw many wolves running away with fire covering their bodies and many wolves lying on the ground with multiple arrows pierced through their thick fur. 

I gasped as I put my hand to my mouth. "No, no..." We needed help. We needed help now.

It suddenly happened so fast. A huge wolf from Roman's army came charging towards me. It leaped onto me with its sharp teeth dangling with drool causing me to fall on my back. My shield got knocked out of my hand which made me close my eyes shut in fright.


	55. Chapter 55

I pushed my sword deeper into its chest until it lay still on my petite body. It was heavy but with great force, I pushed it off and got up craving more death from the enemy. The blood on my sword glistened in the dark as I licked it off with my tongue.

I suddenly became very thirsty for blood. But not just any blood, their blood. So I listened to my conscious. With speed, I jumped from wolf to wolf and bit into their furry bodies sucking their rich dark blood as it trickled fast down my throat.

I also gripped my sword slitting their throats and chopping off their heads. It was a miracle that I wasn't dead yet. These wolves weren't just any wolves. They breathed out fire and were twice the size of the werewolves that lived in Latum Alterum. They weren't real.

With quick instincts, I turned around to see at least ten wolves making their way towards the North; Regnum Terra.

With stamina, I ran fast and jumped onto the nearest one biting into its back. Jasper joined me and started to wrestle with the others. It was getting bloody. I took this time to look at our side again to see we no longer had a thousand. We were down to five hundred. Water would only hold them down for a bit. We still needed help.

I ran towards the back of our army after seeing Roman's wolves trying to get into Regnum Aqua. Elias and Neha joined me and started attacking the wolves as they tried to get past us.

Then out of nowhere, a howl escaped into the air. Not just any howl, a monstrous howl. I turned quickly in the direction of the sound to see something creeping up on a high rocky mountain in the distance.

"What the hell," I mumbled. It was like the whole world stopped. The loud growling from the werewolves fighting each other paused as everyone looked up to see what was on the mountain.

It was at least one hundred feet. It was jet black with a huge scar on its belly. It stood on its hind legs as it opened its mouth to snarl viciously. Its tongue was coated with saliva as it dripped off of its sharp pointy canines. Its eyes were red with fire as they shone through the dark. 

BLAIKE- WHAT IS THAT THING?!!! 

My heart began to beat faster and faster as I stood there in fear staring at the wild beast. I wanted him dead. Him as in Roman. I knew it was him. It was quite damn obvious. 

So after slicing open a werewolf's head in half, I ran through the army of wolves trying to make it to the monster. It jumped off the cliff and started racing towards my direction. My muscles raced with warmth as I felt the blood pumping through my veins. 

ELIAS- LEILANI WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

I ignored my mate's worry voice and continued running full force towards the devil himself. I suddenly found myself rolling on the ground. I got up in confusion to see who had pushed me. It Gray.

"ELIAS!! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" I yelled at him. Was he blind? 

ELIAS- HE WOULD RIP YOUR BODY TO SHREDS! STAND DOWN!!

I huffed in annoyance and looked over at Roman to see him still making his way towards our army. He was getting closer and closer. As he approached us, I jumped out from the side and lunged towards Roman. He instantly slapped me away with his sharp claws sending me flying towards a big tree. My back collided with it causing me to yell in pain. I fell onto the muddy ground feeling a sensation of discomfort.

I got up ignoring the soreness I was feeling in my back. I watched as Sebastian leaped onto Roman but was thrown over a river of lava and luckily landed on stone ground. But he, unfortunately, slipped causing one of his back paws to slip into the hot orange liquid. He howled in pain removing it instantly from the river.

I watched as he moved his mouth towards his paw and breathed out water onto it soothing his burn. He then got up and began racing towards Roman once again, but this time he had his mouth open. Water suddenly came crashing into the monster, causing him to put his claws up in defense.

Lucian- We need help. He's far too strong for any of us!

And just in the blink of an eye, our prayers were answered. The sound of howling from both ends of the North and the East echoed throughout the night. I rubbed my back in pain as I looked into the North. 

A large wolf stood tall on the mountain. It's fur blew in the wind as it claimed it's dominance. I then saw a string of wolves appear from behind it as they began to howl too.

I then looked into the East to see a brown reddish wolf do the same with its army of wolves. I then noticed a familiar silver wolf standing next to the Alpha and smiled in relief. We were no longer alone for Alpha Adamus and Alpha Nephele and their packs were here to help us.


	56. Chapter 56

Elias and I watched as both armies began to make their way down the mountains. It was like a never-ending line of werewolves as they came towards us.

Some of Roman's wolves seemed to be utterly confused but soon responded by charging towards Alpha Adamus and Alpha Nephele's army. As soon as Adamus reached the first wolf, he clawed his eye out in rage. He then stomped his paw against the muddy ground causing it to open up. Around fifty of Roman's wolves fell deep into the Latum Alterum.

Damn, where had he been this entire time? His wolves from Regnum Terra began to throw huge rocks into the air and at the enemy.

I continued watching as noticed Nephele's wolf started to turn her head fast in circles. Was she ok? What was she doing? Then all of a sudden the sky opened up and a tornado began to form from above her. She snarled as it whipped through the opposing side picking up many werewolves. It suddenly exploded sending Roman's army flying. 

Then I saw a great tsunami of water appear from the west. It collapsed onto the monstrous wolf making it fall back. It then emained still on the ground not moving at all.

Neha - Well that was easy

But then no later than a heartbeat, the wolf was up again. It opened its mouth to breathe out fire. I could see a blue force field wrap around Sebastian protecting his wolves and himself from it.

Then on the left-hand side, a massive mudslide started forming. It sent wolves sliding away from the East preventing them from getting anywhere near Regnum Terra. 

It was complete chaos. Huge amounts of water, ice, fire, lava, rocks, and mud were being thrown at the wolves by their opposing sides. As I continued standing watching our side try and defeat Roman's, I unexpectedly felt a weird sensation fill my body.

I raced towards a cliff near me and jumped onto it allowing me to stay isolated away from everyone. My vision became blurry as I suddenly began to see the earth. 

Massive wildfires burned in states like Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, and Oregon. My mouth hung open seeing tectonic plates ridge apart causing earthquakes in countries like Indonesia, Pakistan, Mexico, Nepal, Turkey, and India. Tornados destroying people's home, villages, and towns in Argentina, Uruguay, New Zealand, and even Bangladesh. The Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil was no longer standing. Hurricanes and tsunamis in Japan, Chile, and Portugal completely removed them off of the earth. Egypt had been wiped out with a massive sand storm that destroyed the many pyramids including The Great Pyramid of Giza.

Tears started falling down my face as I started to sob seeing our earth being destroyed. Millions of innocent people were dying because of this mess. All at once, I started to see our pack house. It was in flames. Everyone had gathered outside watching our house burn to the ground. Babies were crying and the children were scared. I saw my own mother as she held on tightly to my father. 

"Mom...I am so sorry." And then it ended. I fell to the ground and began to cry out to the moon goddess.

"MAKE HIM STOP! PLEASE MAKE THIS STOP!!!"

Nailah- You're quite pathetic aren't you.

I turned around to see Nailah's wolf mischievously approach me from behind."DO YOU NOT CARE THAT THERE ARE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE DYING BACK ON EARTH?!" I yelled at her in anger.

Nailah- You see, the earth doesn't concern me. Once Roman destroys you and your friends, he'll destroy everybody else living here. It will only be him left to rule.

"Why on earth are you doing this? Sebastian doesn't like you. He has a mate out there who is waiting for him. And so do you!"

Nailah- Oh shut up. I can't believe you actually believe in that nonsense.

"It's not nonsense! You don't have to live like this. You can end this right now!"

Nailah- And why would I do that?

"Nailah. I guarantee you, Roman will kill you. After he's gotten what he wants, you'll no longer be needed. So please! Help us stop him!"

Nailah- Never.

And with that, she came lunging towards me with a growl. I rolled away from her swiftly before getting up to defend myself. She hastily backed away from me bowing her head down. What was she doing? 

Fire shot out of her mouth as she started to draw a ring around me trapping me. Oh no, this wasn't good.

It became extremely hot as I stood there trying to stay as far away from the ring as possible. I could see Nailah's wolf standing on the outside with a smirk on her face. 

Nailah- You should stay there. You're kind of in the way.

Then out of nowhere, I saw a wolf leap into the air and pounce on Nailah's wolf. It bit her in the neck before opening its mouth to push her off of the cliff with its water powers. It was Mateo.

Mateo- You alright?

"Yes, I am fine. Thank you."

What came next was the one thing I was not expecting to happen. It was too out of the ordinary and caused my heart to stop beating for many seconds. I raced towards the edge of the cliff to see Roman's monster take a knee to the ground. He bent his head low as he suddenly began to make jagged breathing sounds. 

Then as he got up, he grew. Before he was roughly around a hundred feet, but now he was pretty close to three hundred. In the blink of an eye, I gasped staring at the monster as a blanket of fire instantly covered him from his furry head to his huge paws.

It was truly the devil in his natural state.


	57. Chapter 57

Julian- Is this actually happening right now?

I literally could not believe it. Was there anything else Roman wanted to show us so we could know what exactly we were going up against?

"ONCE I AM FINISHED WITH YOU LATUM ALTERUM WILL BE MINE!" he yelled as the flames crackled around him.

Lucian- HE TALKS?!

Both Mateo and I jumped off of the cliff to join our domains as we continued looking at the monster in flames.

Saphira- How the hell are we gonna stop him now?

It was quite evident that we were outnumbered. Not by the many, but by the few. Roman being the few. If only there was another way.

Then out of nowhere, my brain lit up. "In order for us to stop him, he must take off the ring," I mumbled to myself. "But obviously he's not going to, so we have to take it off ourselves."

But how was the question? I stood there looking at Roman's beast trying my hardest to think of a way we can get that ring. But as I looked at him, I realized the ring was nowhere to be seen. Was it only on his human form's finger? Because if it was, all we needed to do was make him shift back.

All of a sudden, Roman did something strange. He began to blow fire at his own army killing each wolf instantly.

Indigo- What is he doing?

I was confused as I watched him kill the remainder of his five thousand army of wolves until there was no more standing. All that was left was us.

"I NO LONGER NEED AN ARMY OF PATHETIC WOLVES. I, MYSELF, CAN KILL YOU ALL!"

Isidora- FATHER STOP IT!!!

I turned around to see Isidora's wolf walk towards Roman. She suddenly shifted into her human form. She was not naked but rather clothed.

"You don't have to do this! Dad please!!!!"

"MY OWN DAUGHTER OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD BE ON MY SIDE!"

"She's right Roman. This won't end well if you continue to hurt people," Oleta said as she walked past me to Isidora and Roman's wolf.

"Oleta. How did you escape?"

"Leilani saved me. Roman please I beg you! Spare us from your wrath. Take the ring off and come home!"

"HOME? WHAT HOME?! YOU TWO ARE THE ONLY ONES I WILL SPARE!"

And with that, he reached his hand out and grabbed both Isidora and Oleta. I gasped as I watched him pick them up and place them behind him. They were unharmed and weren't burned alive.

"SURRENDER TO ME NOW OR DIE!!!!"

"NEVER!!!!" I yelled at him. He then with all his might breathed fire onto us. All the Alpha's put their forcefield powers around us. It was green, blue, and gray. Roman's fire blew against our protection not harming us in any way.

Nephele- We won't be able to hold it for much longer. We need to do something else.

Tell them to place their paws on top of each other.

"PLACE YOUR PAWS ON TOP OF EACH OTHER!" I yelled at Sebastian, Nephele, and Adamus.

Sebastian - Why?

"JUST DO IT!"

So Sebastian placed his paw in the middle of the three Alphas. Alpha Adamus followed and placed his paw on Sebastian's and then Nephele did the same.

I watched them not knowing why the voice in my head told me that. What was going to happen?

Then Sebastian's paw started glowing blue, Adamus' red and Nephele's gray. A bright light suddenly began to appear over their paws. It enveloped around them as they began to rise in the air. The forcefield was broken and Roman had stopped breathing fire onto us to look at what was happening.

We remained on the ground as we looked up to see the Alpha's floating in the air. They began to move in a rapid circle. They were going so fast, no one could even see them anymore but instead just a mixture of the three colours. All of a sudden, a white the light shone so brightly causing me to shield my eyes and look away.

Once I finally looked, my mouth dropped. Standing right in front of us was a wolf the exact same size of Roman's. It was green, blue, and white as it also stood on its hind legs. They had all molded together into one wolf.

I looked at Roman to see that he was surprised.

"YOU WON'T WIN!" he yelled before charging towards the hybrid.

I moved backward in astonishment while watching the beasts wrestle each other. It was like I was watching a movie.

The hybrid was extremely strong as it didn't burn when Roman breathed fire onto it. As they wrestled, they caused trees to fall and the rocky grounds to crack. They were destroying Regnum Ignis not caring about anything but defeating their opponent. 

Everyone else stood there not knowing what to do.

Mateo- Leilani, you should try and chop off his hand.

I looked at Roman's wolf feeling a bit relieved knowing that someone was thinking was I was thinking.

"But how?" I asked Mateo.

Mateo- I can mind-link Sebastian and tell him to tell the others to try and put him to the ground. Maybe then you can swiftly cut off his hand.

I looked at my sword to see that it was quite small compared to Roman's hand. I would have to saw his paw for quite a long time in order for it to fall off.

Mateo- Don't worry! It extends.

"It does?"

Mateo- Yeah! Place it on the ground.

So I followed Mateo's instructions and placed my sword on the ground. I then watched him walk over towards it and place his mouth above the handle. A single drop of water escaped from it and fell directly in the middle of the handle.

Suddenly the sword grew in size. It was five times bigger than what it was before.

Mateo stepped away from it allowing me to pick it up. As I lifted it off the ground, I swung it back and forth trying to get used to the feeling.

I turned around to look at our army.

"Ok listen up. I'm going to take this sword and chop off both of Roman's hands. What I need you guys to do is help the Alphas hold him to the ground. Use your powers and hold him down!"

Everyone howled in response. I then turned around to look at Mateo. "Ok, let's do this!"

Elias- Leilani!

I turned around to see Elias and my friends walk towards me.

Elias- Please be careful!

"I will."

I looked at Nathan's wolf and smiled. We hadn't gotten the chance to talk at all. I mean it was quite impossible because we were focused on defending. 

Nathan- You got this Tiger.

"Thanks."

So as I turned around and started walking towards the hybrid wolf and Roman's wolf fighting, I prayed to the moon goddess to make our plan work. Because if it didn't, I wouldn't know what to do next.

Suddenly the hybrid gave a huge blow to Roman's wolf causing him to tumble to the ground. he ground shook as he landed. Quickly I began to run with the sword in my hand feeling capable of completing my mission.

I was aware of the wolves rushing past me as they began to blow their element on Roman's wolf. He groaned in pain.

As soon as I got to his left hand, I jumped into the air and sliced it off. He began to howl in distress. I watched as it fell to the ground and suddenly shifted back into his human form. I waited for a couple of seconds soon realizing I cut off the wrong hand. There was no ring to be seen.

I looked at Roman to see him trying to get back up. "KEEP HOLDING HIM DOWN!" I yelled before rushing over to the other side.

I took my blade again and chopped off his right hand.

As I watched his hand fall off I prayed that I would be able to snatch it off quickly. As soon as I saw the flash of gold, I rushed towards his hand and slid the ring off of his finger. 

I got up fast and began to run away with it. As I slid it into my pocket, I heard my name being yelled.

Elias -LEILANI LOOK OUT!

I turned around to see an arrow with fire appear from the sky. It was coming straight at me. It all happened so fast, I barely even had the time to process it. Someone had pushed me out of the way as I lay there on the ground confused. What had just happened?

I turned my head to look at the person who did it. It was Elias. His wolf lay there still on the ground with the fiery arrow pierced through its chest. It took me a couple of seconds to actually realize what was going on. 

"OH MY GOD!" I screamed in panic as I rushed over towards my mate.


	58. Chapter 58

"ELIAS! ELIAS!" I frantically repeated as I placed my hand on his furry body. He then shifted into his human form clutching his chest.

He started groaning in pain. "No! No! Stay with me," I told him. He was going to be fine. I looked at the arrow not knowing what to do. Should I pull it out?

''Here let me,'' I heard Annora say. She came from behind me and used her air powers to remove the arrow from his chest swiftly but with ease.

The others finally rushed over towards us.

''T-Thank y-you,'' he whispered to her. She nodded her head before moving away from him.

"L-Leilani," he whispered to me.

My eyes stayed fixated on his burn. I could feel a tinge of water in them as I knelt there not knowing what to do. ''Um,'' I said reaching out my hand to touch it only to immediately pull it away.

"L-Leilani look at m-me," he sputtered.

I removed my gaze from his burn and stared into his grey eyes. "I'm not g-going to m-make it," he told me. "Please give this n-necklace to my m-mother. Tell my parents and Miles that I love them please."

"No! Don't say that. You're going to be okay," I told him trying not to cry.

"I l-love y-you," he stammered.

And that's when all hell broke loose. I began to cry. Elias was not the type of guy to say I love you. Flashes of when we first met appeared in my head, and the time when we fought in the forest and all the other times when he had pissed me off. I also remembered those sweet words he told me the night I freaked out about going to The Other Side.

"From now on, you'll always have me and I will try my best to protect you and take care of you. No matter what comes our way."

My heart pounded erratically remembering how sincere he was. I needed to look after him. His heart was so fragile and I was the only one that was able to handle it with care.

But before I could even respond to Elias, he opened his mouth again to speak. "Can you d-do me a f-favour?"

"Anything for you.''

"Can y-you m-make it q-quick," he said before lifting his wrist up to my mouth.

"No... E-Elias..." I stuttered as I pushed it away gently.

"Please baby. P-Please."

He called me baby. I didn't want him to go. We barely even started our life together. We still had yet to travel, have beautiful children, and grow old together.

With his other hand he slowly reached over towards my face and pulled my head to his. Our lips met as he suddenly began to kiss me passionately. It was the most extreme kiss I had ever had, knowing the fact that I had only had a few. I felt his pain causing the tears to fall down even faster. When he removed his lips from mine, he wiped the water falling onto my cheeks before placing a kiss on my forehead. "It's ok. It's g-going to be ok."

If he was going to die, I didn't want it to be painful. This would make it a whole lot easier for him. So, with tears falling down my face, I hesitantly took his wrist and brought it to my mouth. Just as I was about to bite into it, I stopped myself.

"No... you can't leave me alone," I cried as my breathing became heavy.

"You won't b-be alone. You'll h-have Saphira and all our f-friends. You'll also have N-Nathan," he stuttered.

I shook my head in response. "I don't want Nathan. I want you."

He closed his eyes and groaned again in pain. I could see the struggle as he held on for dear life. He opened his eyes to look at me again. Pain and hurt was all I could see. He pleaded with his eyes for the last time.

I finally bit into his flesh squeezing my eyes shut. I didn't want to see him. Not in this state.

As soon as I tasted his blood, the whole world stop. I had tasted heaven itself. His blood tasted like sweet nectar. It was the best I had ever had and I knew nothing would compare to it. So I sucked and sucked until there was nothing left for me to suck. I slowly set his wrist down not wanting to open my eyes.

I finally did and the sudden realization hit me. He was gone. My mate was dead.

I started to scream as the tears came pouring down more than ever. "ELIAS!!!" I shouted as I shook his lifeless body. "COME BACK! PLEASE COME BACK!"

I threw myself onto him as my tears soaked through his shirt. "NO!!!''

My spirit was no longer alive as I began to curse the moon goddess. 

Mateo rushed over towards me and pulled me away from Elias' dead body. I continued screaming as I tried my best to fight Mateo. "I didn't even tell him I loved him," I murmured.

"I DIDN'T EVEN TELL HIM I LOVED HIM!" I shouted. I turned to look at my friends to see them all staring at me. They stood there in remorse not knowing what to do. Saphira's wolf walked over and nuzzled into me. 

Saphira- It's going to be ok

"NO! IT'S NOT! IT'S NOT GOING TO BE OK!" I yelled at Mateo and Saphira moving away from them. I wanted Elias. I wanted my mate. 

I still couldn't believe he was gone. I threw myself onto the muddy ground and wept as my heart began to give up on itself. I soon felt Nathan's wolf lie down next to me causing me to bury my head into his fur.

I held onto Nathan crying my eyes out not understanding how unlucky I was. My life was pathetic. I suddenly raised my head to see Roman's wolf get up. Why was he not giving up?

Put on the ring.

Those four words echoed through my head causing me to stop breathing for a brief moment. 

Put on the ring.

It was the same voice I heard in Sebastian's castle and at the moon goddess' fountain. Why should I put on the ring? What would be the point?

Leilani, put it on now.

So that's what I did. I took out the ring that I had kept in my pocket and placed it on my middle finger not knowing why the voice in my head wanted me to so badly.


	59. Chapter 59

Everyone watched as Leilani slipped on the ring. She stood up with the little life she had left and started charging towards Roman. Her eyes began to glow as she looked at him with hatred. Her hair illuminated with light as it moved swiftly in the air. Her shoes had been removed and now she had on a pair of golden sandals that swirled up to her calves. Her outfit was now a white dress with golden specks.

"IT IS OVER ROMAN! YOU HAVE LOST!''

When Roman's wolf finally stood up, Leilani flew towards him and shot out her hand causing his wolf to immediately fall back onto the ground. His large wolf instantly returned to its normal size.

It was quiet. Everything had become still again. The only difference was that Regnum Ignis was a disaster. Several trees lay broken on the ground with their branches disconnected. The ground was muddy and the rocks were cracked. It didn't even look like Regnum Ignis.

The hybrid wolf shifted back releasing each Alpha into their human forms.

Blaike- Did she just fly?

Leilani took this time to look at herself. She was utterly shocked that she could fly. She wondered what else she could do. She then looked down at her hand and her shoes. 

As Roman's wolf lay there, many wolves from each domain started running towards him but Leilani instantly stopped them. "No, we are not going to kill him."

He lay there in fear as he stared at her.

"Is this what you wanted? To destroy this beautiful place that you were blessed with from the moon goddess? To put the many children and families living here in danger and fear? To kill innocent wolves from every domain who only wanted peace and harmony? To destroy the earth and all its goodness? To kill millions of lives living there leaving their families heartbroken?" Leilani asked him as the tears continued falling down her face. "To kill my mate E-Elias, your n-nephew?" she sobbed.

"I wanted to prove to everyone that I was able."

"Able to do what? The only thing you proved to everyone was how selfish and arrogant you are. You never think of others and how your decisions can impact them. It's always about you!" she yelled. Suddenly his body began to rise up in the air as she began to choke him.

"Leilani," Mateo said in hesitation.

"I won't kill you because I don't agree with the death sentence, but you will learn the hard way."

And with that, she let go of him causing him to fall onto the ground coughing and gasping for air.

Leilani suddenly shut her eyes bringing her hands over Roman's wolf. Immediately a golden light poured out of them and into him. He yelled in pain as everyone watched a miraculous thing happen. His wolf was slowly pulled off of him. As Leilani groaned with anger she continued stripping Roman free from his wolf. Once it was completely off of him, it disintegrated leaving Roman lying on the ground with a pair of shredded shorts on.

"You are no longer Alpha Ignis."

After those six words were said, the dark night had suddenly disappeared. It was daytime as the clouds thrived in the air. Regnum Ignis returned to its original state. The moon remained in the sky watching over Latum Alterum. Leilani had also felt the earth changing. It was being restored. The tsunamis, earthquakes, forest fires, mudslides, and sand storms were undone. All the lives that were lost had been found. The earth was back to normal as if nothing had happened. Her pack house stood on its foundation not showing any sign of damage.

Isidora and Oleta both started walking towards Roman. "Why?" Isidora cried as she looked at her father's state. "WHY?"

"I am sorry. I wanted to prove to the world that I wasn't useless and pathetic. I wanted the world to see how great I was."

"Father, you don't need approval from the world. You are great in our eyes."

Leilani then closed her eyes shut. She put out her hand and began to pull. Suddenly Nailah floated from behind a large tree and towards Leilani.

Leilani reached out her hand and placed them on Nailah's throat causing her bow and arrow to fall to the ground. "You killed my mate," she stated as she squeezed harder. "You murdered him," she gritted through her teeth.

Nailah placed her hands on Leilani's trying her best to pull them off of her throat.

"Leilani."

Her eyes widened in shock hearing the voice of a person she thought she had lost. She immediately released Nailah causing her to fall onto the ground gasping for air. Leilani turned around slowly to see him standing there.

He stood there with nothing but a pair of shorts on.

"It's me."

Leilani's heart stopped beating for a brief second as she stood there in confusion. "E-Elias?" she stuttered.

She looked at Nephele as she stood beside him. "It worked. I took him to the moon goddess' fountain. He's alive again."

Leilani remained still staring at Elias. Was he really here or was she dreaming? She began to walk towards him very slowly feeling unsure of what was happening.

As soon as she got to him, she hesitantly reached out her fingers to touch Elias' chest where the arrow had pierced through. She pushed against his muscle realizing that the burn was gone. She couldn't seem to understand how. Yes, she heard what Alpha Nephele had said but she still couldn't believe it. The moon goddess' fountain didn't always work.

She removed her gaze from it to look up at him. His grey eyes stared into her soul as she dropped her hand.

"Oh my gosh, it is you," she sighed before pushing herself into him. She wrapped her arms around his torso as she closed her eyes thanking the moon goddess that her mate was no longer dead. She felt Elias' heartbeat quicken as he too wrapped his arms around his mate.

"Please, don't leave me again," she gasped in between breaths.

"I'm not going anywhere."

She released her grasp and placed her lips onto his. He responded immediately kissing her back.

After some seconds, their lips finally separated. She couldn't wait anymore longer. She needed him to know."I love you," she told him. "And I love you," he responded with a cheeky smile.

Leilani's friends suddenly shifted into their human forms. Leilani used her powers giving them clothing to wear. Once they were all in their human forms, Leilani looked down at her hands. "How did I do that," she thought.

Suddenly, the sound of victory echoed through the hills. It was the inhabitants of Latum Alterum. Wolves from Regnum Aqua, Regnum Ignis, Regnum Terra, and Regnum Caeli began to make their way towards them.

Thousands and thousands of people ran as they shouted and yelled in triumph. Leilani was glad to see that they were all safe and sound.

"Thank you," Alpha Sebastian said to Leilani as he walked towards her. He suddenly lowered his head and bowed down.

"Um, what are you doing?"

One by one the Alpha's followed Sebastian and bowed to Leilani. The werewolves who fought from the domains did the same. Leilani was utterly embarrassed seeing was what happening before her.

She watched as her friends did the same until every wolf in Latum Alterum was kneeling on the ground with their heads bowed down to her. She stood there in the middle looking at thousands of wolves honoring her. Never in her life had she imagined anything like this to happen.

When they all got up, Saphira rushed towards Leilani giving her a hug.

"I knew it! You are the chosen one," Saphira giggled as she admired her best friend.

"Yeah," she said. Leilani didn't even know what that meant, but she knew she felt different. She was no longer just a vampire, but a vampire with powers. So far, all she knew was that she could fly, strip someone's wolf from them, bring people to herself, and put clothing on people. She still couldn't believe it. What did that make her? 

As Leilani looked at everyone, she realized many people from different domains interacting with one another. They were talking and laughing as if they already knew each other. That's when she knew she needed to do one last thing before she returned back to the earth.

"There's just one more thing I need to do."

And with that, she flew up into the air. She raced through the sky transforming the whole of Latum Alterum into something new. There were no longer four castles but instead one for all the Alphas to reign together. The village homes were put together removing isolation from the elemental werewolves. The moon goddess' fountain remained in the middle and was open to all. The four elements molded together to create a wonderful paradise for its inhabitants.

After Leilani had finished, she returned back to the others.

"Roman will be kept locked up. I'm not sure for how long but for quite a while." Two werewolves immediately grabbed Roman and dragged him towards the castle.

"And what about me?" Nailah asked with a chuckle.

"I'm sending you to earth. With no memory of what happened. You'll become a rogue."

"W-What?"

And with that Leilani waved her hand in front of her causing Nailah to suddenly disappear. Leilani didn't even think twice. She just had a feeling she could do it. 

"I can't believe you're my mate," Leilani heard Nephele say in annoyance.

"What? Are you saying that in a good way or in a bad way?" Sebastian asked with a chuckle.

I turned around to stare at them. They were mates?

"That's crazy," Neha exclaimed.

"Well, I can't think of a better way for you Alphas to unite," I said.

"Wait, who will become the new Alpha Ignis?" Isidora asked me.

She was right. It was quite obvious that Roman was no longer Alpha Ignis. But I already knew in my heart who would take his place.

"You will," I told her.

"W-What?"

"You are the only person who's fit for the title," I told her smiling.

"I don't k-know what to s-say," she sputtered. "Thank you Leilani," she said before giving me a hug.

"No, thank you Alpha Ignis."

-  
Leilani's POV

As we approached the portal I couldn't believe it was over. We were returning back to earth. One by one our packs entered the portal.

"Goodbye, Sebastian. Thank you for welcoming my friends and me into your domain. Hopefully, Nephele will put you in your place." 

"Haha, very funny," he responded. "Bye Leilani."

I turned to walk towards Mateo. "Goodbye, Mateo. Thank you for trusting us when we weren't making sense," I laughed.

"Thank you for making a stand when Sebastian wasn't. I wish you all the luck when you return to earth."

I then stepped in front of Nephele. "Goodbye Nephele. Thank you for helping us and being the great warrior that you are. I truly appreciate it."

"The pleasure was all mine. Thank you for saving my home," she answered.

After giving her a hug, I turned to Alpha Adamus. "Goodbye Adamus. Thank you for helping us. I wish you, Celestia, and Gaia a wonderful life filled with prosperity and happiness."

"Goodbye, Leilani. Thank you for being a great leader. Without your courage, I don't know if we would be here. I am glad you are the chosen one," he stated.

I then walked back to Elias before turning around to face everyone one last time.

"Will you visit soon?" Mateo asked.

"We most definitely will." As I stood there I suddenly realized both Jasper and Nathan were currently standing next to their mates not moving at all.

"You're not coming with us are you?" I asked them.

They both shook their heads in response.

"Goodbye Jasper," I said before giving him a hug.

"Goodbye, Leilani. Make sure you keep a handle on Elias here. He's all yours now," he chuckled.

"Oh don't worry. I will," I smiled.

I then made my way towards Nathan. He stood there with a cheeky smile on his face." I guess this is it huh?" I asked him.

"Yeah I guess it is," he chuckled.

"Goodbye Natty," I sighed before embracing him in a hug. He immediately wrapped his arms around me.

"Oh, this is not a goodbye. We'll be seeing each other again real soon." I held onto him tightly not wanting to let him go. I would miss him like crazy. I was extremely grateful for the nineteen years we had spent together.

"Take care Tiger," he whispered into my ear. I finally released my hold and stepped back. I felt a tear roll down my cheek but quickly wiped it away.

"Goodbye," I said for the last time.

I then turned around and smiled at Elias. He put out his hand allowing me to place mine in his. We then both stepped into the portal leaving Latum Alterum and all its glory behind.


	60. Chapter 60

Never in my life would I had thought my friends and I would get to go to Latum Alterum. 

When we returned back to earth, everyone was dying to know what happened. I had spent days telling the children in our pack all the cool and crazy things my friends and I had experienced. They were amazed and shocked and had asked several times if they could go. They were quite adorable.

Things had returned to back to normal. Well sort of. I was somehow able to control myself hence the reason why I had also returned to school with my friends. It was like I never left. 

Elias had told me how teary his mom was when he gave her Roman's necklace. She was so happy that her brother was alive but also very disappointed with his actions and the way he treated her son.

I had finally met Elias' brother Miles. He was a carbon copy of him. They looked the exact same it was quite scary.

Elias and I spent a lot of time together. We were practically inseparable. I was so happy that I didn't lose him because if I ever did, I don't know how I would be able to live.

Even though I had returned back to earth, I still had many unanswered questions. Why did I have powers? Why did Elias and I find that dead body in Regnum Aqua? What was the voice that I had heard in my head? Why was I the chosen one? And most importantly, why did I have powers? I mean it was fun to play around with, but I couldn't comprehend its purpose.

Anyways, it's interesting how this all turned out. We had completed our deed and returned back to earth. 

There were times when I doubted myself. I thought I was going crazy thinking that I could somehow unite all the Alphas together. Truth is I was crazy.

No one in their right minds would've done what I did, but I knew it needed to be done. Regardless if it was our deed or not. 

And that's really all that matters. No matter how weird your life is or how crazy some circumstances are, everything happens for a reason. Don't give up and fight for what's right.

And from now until forever I will always do just exactly that. I will always stand up for those who can't. I will always find a way to make the impossible possible.

And I guess that's what makes me Leilani.

The End


End file.
